The two young men remained calm and composed in the face of danger. While launching a psychological offensive, they seized the opportunity to rescue the child and capture the two criminals.
The two assailants are currently seriously injured and receiving treatment at Fuxing District Hospital; their vital signs are stable.
Well, of course, that last sentence wasn't included.
The following day, Fuhe TV broadcast the news in its morning news, midday segment, and evening news segment, including interviews with the brave young man Xu Zhengyang and the family of the rescued baby. The broadcast also featured a rousing speech of praise from Li Xiuping, the director of the Fuxing District Public Security Bureau.
At the end of each news article, there is an interview with Song Xiangxin, deputy general manager of Dongsheng Automobile Sales and Service Co., Ltd., and a dialogue.
Song Xiangxin said with deep emotion: "Heroic acts are a rare phenomenon in our society today. We should respect heroes who act bravely and righteously, and we should promote and learn from their spirit. Therefore, our Dongsheng Automobile Sales and Service Co., Ltd. has decided to replace Mr. Xu Zhengyang's vehicle, which was damaged by the assailant while he was acting bravely, with a brand new car free of charge… Yes, Mr. Xu Zhengyang had just bought this new car from our company. At the time of the incident, he had only driven this white Audi A4 for less than two hours. Our society should do something for such heroes…"
On the second day after the incident, while Fuhe City TV station was continuously broadcasting the news and various newspapers were also reporting on it, the provincial TV station began broadcasting this exemplary act of bravery, and even the national news television station was airing it on its first, second, and fourth programs...
This news has also been widely circulated online due to the deliberate propaganda efforts of some individuals.
Of course, due to the concerns about personal privacy and the safety of the person involved, and because the person involved is humble and low-key and does not want to be affected by the public, except for the initial broadcast by Fuhe City TV which showed Xu Zhengyang's face and real name, later major TV news programs, newspapers and the Internet all concealed Xu Zhengyang's face and real name, and simply referred to him as Mr. Xu.
Furthermore, a video recording was also released. It was from the surveillance camera at the intersection of Huamao Street and South Ring Road at the time of the incident, capturing a clear scene showing the initial sequence of events: Xu Zhengyang's white Audi A4 was stopped at the intersection. The young woman and baby on the bicycle, the motorcycle, and the two suspects all turned past the car. Upon realizing the suspects had committed the crime, the car door, which had been open, was quickly closed, and the white Audi A4 accelerated and turned, giving chase. The footage ends there.
Xu Zhengyang was initially a little angry. "I want to be famous, who wants to keep a low profile? Why did you make my face look like a flower?"
But then I thought about it and realized that we should be more low-key. Otherwise, if we go out in the future, everyone will recognize us and come up to us and ask: "Hello, did you do a good deed today?"
That would create chaos, and it would be a bit ridiculous.
Putting that aside, what frustrated Xu Zhengyang the most was that Chen Chaojiang, who was truly low-key and aloof, had never appeared in front of the camera, refused interviews, or uttered a single word, was being portrayed by the media as having been seriously injured in a heroic fight with criminals, and after the hospital's best efforts to save him, he was finally out of danger and was currently in the intensive care unit, making it impossible to film or interview him...
Xu Zhengyang was both amused and exasperated. He thought to himself, "Those two idiots? If you gave each of them a Green Dragon Crescent Blade from Guan Yu's hand, and they could even scratch Chen Chaojiang, they'd be jumping for joy for three days straight."
Watching the news on TV, Xu Zhengyang joked to Chen Chaojiang, "Dude, I'm sorry you had to go through all that trouble. You ended up being called a hero who almost died..."
Chen Chaojiang ignored him and sat on the sofa, concentrating on carving.
A short while later, his mother, Yuan Suqin, called excitedly and said, "Son, you're famous! You're a hero who did something righteous! You're on TV! All the neighbors are coming to our house to ask about you. Oh, and the village secretary, Zhou Qingguo, just came over too."
"Ahem, Mother, well... I won't be going back for the next few days, I'm busy here."
"I know, I know, but please don't come back. If you do, our house will be crushed by the villagers!" Yuan Suqin said excitedly.
Xu Neng said from the side, "How is Chaojiang doing? His parents came over to ask, saying they wanted to go to the hospital to see him, but we haven't heard anything from them yet?"
"Huh? Chaojiang is alright!" Xu Zhengyang turned to Chen Chaojiang and said, "He's sitting right in front of me watching TV. Don't listen to the nonsense on the news. Chaojiang just hid and didn't give any interviews, so they thought he was injured."
Xu Neng complained, "Then why is his phone off? His parents couldn't get through to him when they called."
Xu Zhengyang turned to Chen Chaojiang and asked, "Hey, why did you turn off your phone?"
"Huh? It's out of power. I don't use it much, so I didn't notice." Chen Chaojiang was stunned for a moment, then took out his phone and looked at it. Sure enough, it was out of power.
Helpless, Xu Zhengyang could only say, "Father, Mother, tell Uncle and Aunt not to worry, Chaojiang is fine."
"Oh, that's good, that's good." Xu Neng breathed a sigh of relief. If something happened to the person working for his son, how could he face the other person's parents?
Yuan Suqin snatched the phone again, her excitement gone, replaced by concern and worry: "Son, we must never do such a foolish thing again. You caught up with them, but why did you fight with those reckless bastards? What if you get hurt if we call the police and wait for them to arrest you? If anything happens to you, how will your mother live?" She even started sobbing as she spoke.
Startled, Xu Zhengyang quickly offered words of comfort, repeatedly saying it was alright and that he would be more careful in the future.
I finally managed to persuade my mother and hung up the phone, but my phone rang again very soon after.
Zhong Zhijun, Zhou Qiang, Cao Gangchuan, Zhang Hao, and Liu Bin all called, laughing and joking around; then, Pang Zhong, the director of the Municipal Public Security Bureau, the director of the Cixian County Public Security Bureau, and Zhong Shan, the captain of the Criminal Investigation Brigade, also called; oh, the Municipal Party Secretary Yu Zhenbang also called to praise and commend Chen Chaojiang and to express his condolences, saying that the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government had approved the Fuxing District Public Security Bureau's submission of recognition for the two men's acts of bravery, and the certificates would be issued tomorrow; Dong Yuebu called, his two uncles called, and his aunt and uncle called...
Left with no other option, Xu Zhengyang turned off the phone.
It's hard to be a person, it's even harder to be a celebrity, and it's incredibly difficult to be a courageous and righteous young person.
He never expected that for the next week or so, every time he turned on his phone, he would immediately receive calls. He didn't know how the news media had managed to find out Xu Zhengyang's phone number...
By the way, on the morning of the second day after the incident, in the main house of the courtyard house built between Xiaowang Mountain and Qinghe River in the western suburbs of Fuhe City, the old man watched the news on TV about Xu Zhengyang's heroic act. He didn't say anything, just sipped his tea with a smile. The girl sitting next to him, who was as pure and aloof as a fairy from the Moon Palace, also had a rare smile on her delicate and fair face.
Volume Three, Judge Chapter 135: An Old Man and a Young Man, A Game of Chess Ends in a Draw
It was the dead of winter, the weather was freezing cold. The sky was overcast and white.
On Xiaowang Mountain and along the banks of the meandering Qinghe River in the western suburbs of Fuhe City, clusters of crystal-clear snow and frost hang on the trees, creating a beautiful scene of jade trees and coral branches.
The cement path was swept clean, and two neat rows of snow piled up on both sides of the path, like two low walls.
The grassland was covered in a blanket of white, with a few stubborn blades of withered grass peeking out from the snow, their yellowed stems seemingly watching the snow-covered mountains and streams in the surrounding fields.
A white Audi A4 turned from the sparsely trafficked highway onto a concrete path, slowly making its way towards the courtyard house a few hundred meters away.
Chen Chaojiang was driving, while Xu Zhengyang sat in the back seat, his eyes half-closed as if he were dozing off.
Although the nationally renowned old man living in this courtyard house had invited Xu Zhengyang to his home on the opening day of the new Gu Xiang Xuan restaurant, Xu Zhengyang had initially hesitated to come. It wasn't that he considered himself the only deity in the world and was therefore arrogant and aloof, but rather that he genuinely didn't want to sit with the old man; he felt some psychological resistance, or perhaps some apprehension and fear.
It's certain that if the old man had invited someone else, at least in this country, people of all status would have eagerly come to this courtyard house as quickly as possible to have a chat with him.
Unfortunately, the old man invited a man of unremarkable appearance, a young man who, although somewhat well-known in the countryside and later featured on television and in newspapers for his act of bravery, a rural lad with some fame in the antique world of Fuhe City, or, to exaggerate a bit, perhaps in the antique world of Hexi Province. Even so, he was hardly a famous person, let alone possessing the reputation of a great figure.
Yet this seemingly ordinary rural lad repeatedly delayed, even subtly declining the old man's invitation to visit the courtyard house. One wonders if the high-ranking officials in Fuhe City, upon learning of Xu Zhengyang's absence, will be furious and come knocking on his door to slap him and bring him to his senses.
The old man didn't seem angry about it and didn't express any dissatisfaction.
He seemed confident that Xu Zhengyang would come to visit his home someday, it was just a matter of time.
However… the old man was the first to lose his patience and got a little agitated. This little guy, is he really not going to accept my invitation to visit? With the end of the year approaching, has this kid forgotten that I invited him?
So, after Li Bingjie and Li Chengzong visited Xu Zhengyang several times as before, yesterday Li Chengzong finally conveyed a message to Xu Zhengyang on behalf of Old Master Li: "Come to my house tomorrow and have a chat with this old man, and play a couple of games of chess."
Xu Zhengyang immediately agreed, looking embarrassed.
He didn't want to come before, and then... he really forgot about it.
"I wonder if that old man is very angry? What if he gets so mad that he sends a bunch of burly thugs with guns to shoot me?" Xu Zhengyang grinned. He shamelessly fantasized: "Or maybe the old man has taken a liking to me, wants to get to know me better, and wants me to be... his grandson-in-law?"
Xu Zhengyang wasn't sure about other things, but he knew one thing for sure: if he hadn't become a god and was still that ordinary, unremarkable, and down-to-earth country boy who traded millet, then even if Li Bingjie came to see him every day, even if she stayed at his house and slept in the same room on the same kang (heated brick bed), the old man wouldn't even glance at him, let alone invite him to be a guest.
The reason for inviting Xu Zhengyang, besides Li Bingjie, must be that the old man also had some curiosity and doubts.
After all, the events that have happened around Xu Zhengyang over the past six months, as well as Xu Zhengyang's experiences, are enough to make too many people wonder and speculate.
Xu Zhengyang scratched his head habitually, took out a cigarette, and lit it.
The car had already arrived at the entrance of the courtyard house. At the signal of two stern-faced men in black overcoats, the Audi A4 drove onto the flat ground paved with stone bricks to the right of the gate.
"Finish this cigarette before you go in," Xu Zhengyang said softly.
Chen Chaojiang, who was about to open the car door and get out, paused for a moment, then sat up straight and lit a cigarette. Normally, Chen Chaojiang wouldn't feel nervous even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of him, but at this moment, his heart was surging with emotions and he couldn't calm down. After all, the place he came to today was different, and the old man he was going to meet was really too special.
However, seeing that Xu Zhengyang still had the mood to light a cigarette at this time, Chen Chaojiang couldn't help but admire Xu Zhengyang. Being a god is different; his mentality is indeed strong!
In fact, Xu Zhengyang hadn't thought that far ahead. He only considered that the old man couldn't smoke or drink, so out of politeness and respect, he shouldn't smoke inside. Since that was the case, why not indulge in a smoke before going in?
It's that simple.
The two men in black standing at the door looked puzzled. What were the people in the car doing? Why weren't they getting out...?
Li Chengzong walked out of the courtyard gate, a hint of doubt in his eyes, and walked to the car. The rear window rolled down, and Xu Zhengyang, smoking a cigarette, said with a simple smile, "Brother Li, I'll finish this cigarette before I go in."
Li Chengzong paused for a moment, then said with a wry smile, "Okay, okay."
After saying that, Li Chengzong turned around and went back into the courtyard house.
The two guards at the door became increasingly suspicious.
After finishing his cigarette, Xu Zhengyang took the sandalwood box he had brought, opened the car door, and got out. Chen Chaojiang followed him out.
Two guards conducted a routine check on the two men, and four sharp daggers were found on Chen Chaojiang. Fortunately, Li Chengzong had already approached when the daggers were discovered. He said, "It's alright, he's a sculptor." If it weren't for that, who knows how those two stern-faced guards would have mistreated Chen Chaojiang.
Chen Chaojiang gritted his teeth, his expression much colder than the two guards, but he did not refuse to let them take his dagger. At this moment, Xu Zhengyang suddenly had a very mischievous thought: "You can search any further, but you won't find anything of mine that I can use as a brick. I'll smash that thing over the old man's head... Ugh, what am I thinking? Have I lost my mind?" Xu Zhengyang secretly cursed and berated himself.
Stepping into the courtyard, Xu Zhengyang looked around at the scene of the siheyuan (traditional courtyard house). He suddenly regretted that his new house had been built as a single-story house. He really should have built a tiled house in the style of this siheyuan, and with blue bricks and blue tiles... Hmm, no, these kinds of blue bricks are probably impossible to buy now, and the tiles are all red.
In fact, early on when the new house was under construction, Xu Zhengyang insisted on building it as a courtyard house instead of an apartment building. At that time, he naturally had not seen the architectural style of this courtyard house. He just had a special fondness for courtyard houses and did not like apartment buildings. Moreover, long before he became a god, he especially liked the style of Zhao Laoguang's house.
Xu Zhengyang had seen the courtyard house he was currently in many times in the case file. The more he looked at it, the more he liked it.
As Zhengyang followed Li Chengzong into the courtyard, Li Chengzong pointed to the door of the main room and said, "Zhengyang, Old Master Li is inside. You can go there. Chaojiang can't go; let him come to my room."
Xu Zhengyang nodded and stepped into the house.
Chen Chaojiang, however, remained expressionless and followed Li Chengzhong into a room in the west wing without uttering a word.
Xu Zhengyang had expected that there would be several burly men dressed in black inside the main room, keeping a close eye on him, but to his surprise, upon entering, he found only the simply dressed old man and Li Bingjie, dressed in light clothing, sitting side by side on a brown sofa.
In front of the old man and Li Bingjie, there was no tea table, only a small brown square table with a chessboard drawn on it, and black and red chess pieces already set up.
"Grandpa, hello." Xu Zhengyang walked forward with a simple smile and bowed slightly in politeness.
"It wasn't easy to get you here, should I say something like 'It's an honor to have you here'?" the old man joked kindly.
"Grandpa, your words are shortening my lifespan. To be honest, I really didn't dare to come..." Xu Zhengyang chuckled sheepishly, somewhat embarrassed as he handed over the gift he had brought. "Grandpa, you know me, I'm just a country bumpkin with little education and little understanding of etiquette. This, this is an inkstone that our shop just acquired. Grandpa Gu said it's a Duan inkstone from the early Song Dynasty. I don't know much about these things, but I thought that since you have such good calligraphy skills, you would appreciate this..."
The old man didn't refuse, smiling as he accepted the sandalwood box Xu Zhengyang offered, and gestured with a smile, "Please sit down."
Xu Zhengyang sat down somewhat awkwardly on the single sofa opposite the old man. He looked at Li Bingjie, only to find her staring intently at him, though her eyes were vacant and indifferent, as if she didn't care about his presence at all.
The old man placed the sandalwood box beside him, opened it, took out the Duan inkstone inside, and nodded with slight satisfaction as he examined it closely.
This inkstone is an irregular oval shape with a bright green color and smooth, delicate stone texture. It is carved with a lush pine tree that welcomes guests, surrounded by auspicious clouds and soaring cranes. A jade disc is in the clouds, and a sika deer lies under the tree. Beside it stands an old man with a kind face, bowing slightly and reaching out to stroke the sika deer's antlers.
The entire Duan inkstone is meticulously carved. The lines are smooth, delicate, and subtle, exuding a simple yet exquisite charm.
The old man smiled and praised, "What a fine inkstone! A poet from the Song Dynasty once wrote a poem praising Duan inkstones: 'The ancient Duanxi inkstone is a wonder of the world, its purple flowers bloom like rainbows at midnight.' This inkstone is a rare example of Duan inkstones, exquisitely carved from emerald green stone... This is a very generous gift."
"I'm glad you like it, sir," Xu Zhengyang said with a simple smile, but in his heart he was wondering how much the inkstone was worth. As soon as Yao Chushun heard that he was going to pick out a gift for Old Li, he immediately took out this inkstone, but he didn't say how much it was worth.
Xu Zhengyang asked how much the item was worth, since he wondered if a cheap gift would be presentable to Old Master Li. Yao Chushun replied, "Don't talk about money, it's vulgar..." Xu Zhengyang was speechless, but he figured that since Yao Chushun knew it was for Old Master Li, he must have a good idea of the value.
The old man placed the Duan inkstone back into the sandalwood box, closed the box, and then, as if the previous conversation had never happened, gently waved his hand and said, "Let's play a game of chess."
"I... I'm not good at this game. I learned it from someone when I was a kid, but I haven't played it in a while," Xu Zhengyang said, scratching his head.
"It's alright. Anyone who has played chess with me knows that this old man is a terrible chess player," the old man said with a kind smile.
Xu Zhengyang chuckled and said, "Then, you'll have to go easy on me."
"Give me a handicap?" the old man asked.
"No, no..." Xu Zhengyang quickly waved his hand and said, "Anyway, when it's time to die, it's time to die. Don't slowly boil me like a toad and kill me off like a commander with no troops left."
The old man couldn't help but laugh twice, then waved his hand and said, "You, you, alright, red goes first, black goes second, it's not shameful to lose."
Xu Zhengyang was slightly taken aback, thinking that this old man could actually speak such rural dialect. However, he didn't ask any further questions and instead lowered his head without any modesty, picked up a chess piece, and set up the central cannon.
The old man calmly and unhurriedly placed his pieces and mounted his horse according to the usual chess moves.
The old man and the young man focused intently on placing their chess pieces one by one, while Li Bingjie, standing beside him, finally shifted her gaze from Xu Zhengyang's face to the chessboard.