schlechte Samen

Kapitel 16

“It went very smoothly.” He heard Zhou Yifeng mutter to himself.

Zhou Yifeng patted him on the shoulder and said, "Let's go outside and rest for a bit."

The sun was shining brightly outside, but Yan Hao still looked somewhat dazed, as if he had just woken up from a dream.

Teacher Yang had already prepared paper and pen, and Zhou Yifeng moved a chair and sat opposite Yan Hao.

"Now tell me, what did you see?"

Yan Hao looked up at Zhou Yifeng. His eyes were unfamiliar and flustered.

"I... a lot, a lot..." Yan Hao spoke very slowly, not like he was answering a question, but more like he was talking in his sleep.

Zhou Yifeng looked at him with expectant eyes.

"I feel like I'm in a pool, and I'm at the bottom of the pool."

"A pool? Where is the pool?"

"I don't know, it was a sealed pool, very dark, and I was very scared."

"Oh, did you have any experience of being submerged in water when you were a child, such as drowning while swimming?"

Yan Hao shook his head. Suddenly he asked, "Professor Zhou, is the 'I' that a person feels during hypnosis the real 'I'?"

Zhou Yifeng thought for a moment and said, "You could say that! That's your subconscious self, and also your real self."

“But I also saw another version of myself. I didn’t know who I was, or who he was. In the end, we merged together,” Yan Hao said slowly.

Shen Zihan and Liao Guangzhi, who were sitting next to them, remained silent. Judging from their expressions, they were puzzled by Yan Hao's conversation with Zhou Yifeng.

"And then?" Zhou Yifeng asked.

"Then, I woke up. It didn't seem like a long time, just from the pool to a long corridor, and then to seeing another version of myself. It felt like only a few minutes."

“But it’s already 5:20 pm, you’ve been inside for about an hour and a half,” Shen Zihan interjected.

"Which corridor was it? Do you remember?" Zhou Yifeng asked, staring intently into Yan Hao's eyes.

Yan Hao was silent for a moment. Then he said softly, "Anatomy classroom."

"Ah?" Shen Zihan and Liao Guangzhi exclaimed in surprise at the same time.

Even Zhou Yifeng was greatly surprised by this answer. He leaned back in his chair, his face showing a puzzled expression.

"Think about it, isn't that pool you mentioned very small? Doesn't it look like a pool of corpses?"

Yan Hao nodded. Although he had never seen the Corpse Pool, his intuition told him he was right.

Zhou Yifeng twirled the pen in his hand with three fingers again. Then he said, "It's strange, I need to think about it carefully, think about it carefully." Almost just like last time, he waved his hand and said, "You guys, you can go first."

Yan Hao didn't say anything, but was the first to stand up from the sofa, lower his head, and leave.

Jiang Boyu has disappeared!

Even worse than the news was that Hu Tianjun was taken directly from the stadium to the emergency room of the affiliated hospital. Some minor injuries weren't serious, but Jiang Boyu's punch had ruptured his spleen. The massive internal bleeding nearly killed him. When he arrived at the emergency room, he was already pale and almost in shock! In addition, his fractured nose will mean he'll have to breathe with bandages on for two months.

What was originally a simple incident on the sports field was thus redefined as a vicious brawl. Jiang Boyu went from being a hero who stood up for justice to a wanted criminal who could potentially become a prisoner.

His disappearance undoubtedly raises suspicions of shirking responsibility and fleeing to avoid punishment. The student affairs office has already spoken with Shen Wei and Duan Youzhi separately, instructing them to closely monitor Jiang Boyu's whereabouts and report any sightings immediately. The bald director of the student affairs office, nicknamed "Four Eyes," said sternly to Shen Wei, "If we hadn't shown leniency and not called the police, hmph, the police would be coming to arrest him in a couple of days. Do you know this is a criminal case? Such heavy-handedness! How cruel! How cruel!"

Shen Wei kept his head down, not daring to utter a sound. Judging from the "four-eyes'" expression, it was as if Shen Wei was the one who had hit him. Finally, both he and Duan Youzhi made written guarantees that they would immediately notify the school if Jiang Boyu returned.

Jiang Boyu disappeared after leaving the student affairs office that afternoon. He left a so-called "report of the incident" at the student affairs office and was then told to write a self-criticism and submit it the next day.

Shen Wei was later dragged away by Wang Danyang and the others to copy the videotapes. When he returned, it was already 7:30 PM, and Duan Youzhi said Jiang Boyu hadn't come back yet. So the two of them sneaked to the student affairs office, hoping to see if he was still inside for questioning, but the office was completely dark. Standing outside the student affairs office, Duan Youzhi muttered, "I have a bad feeling. What if Old Jiang does something rash?"

They waited until 11 p.m. when the lights went out, but Jiang Boyu still didn't return. During this time, they searched the school's playground, cafeteria, and classrooms, but Jiang Boyu seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Lying in bed that night, Shen Wei said to Duan Youzhi with a bitter face, "Your damn jinx is really accurate, Chiang Kai-shek really did run away."

The next day, Shen Wei and about ten other classmates searched all over the city's train stations, long-distance bus stations, People's Square, and other places they could think of where Jiang Boyu might be, but they couldn't find him.

Shen Wei also called Jiang Boyu's home—the number was found on the student registration card from the counselor. But Jiang Boyu didn't come home. Shen Wei didn't dare tell Jiang Boyu's family about it over the phone.

Time passed day by day. Five days later, Hu Tianjun's family members finally couldn't hold back any longer and went to the student affairs office to say that if they didn't see him within three days, they would report him to the police station! That would mean that Jiang Boyu's assault would be investigated as a criminal case and he would eventually be prosecuted and imprisoned.

Director Tang, nicknamed "Four-Eyes," flew into a rage. He gave the counselor of Jiang Boyu's class a death order: within three days, he must see Jiang Boyu alive or dead!

Even the women's football match was suspended as a result. Wang Danyang and her team had already sent copies of the match video to the student affairs office and the physical education department, and had also drafted a letter requesting leniency for Jiang Boyu—signed by all the female football players and submitted to "Four-Eyes".

Wang Danyang was very proactive, searching for Jiang Boyu with Shen Wei and the others throughout the city every day. To save time, she even paid for her own taxis—Shen Wei calculated that the taxi fare alone cost more than two hundred yuan the day after Jiang Boyu disappeared.

Everyone believed that Jiang Boyu was definitely not someone who was afraid to take responsibility. But everyone had a concern: if everyone has moments of vulnerability, why wouldn't Jiang Boyu make a mistake at times? Especially since he was a very emotional and impulsive person.

Fortunately, Hu Tianjun is recovering well. After timely rescue and a blood transfusion of 2,000 cc, his spleen was saved. However, Shen Wei no longer speaks of Hu Tianjun by name, but instead uses the phrase "deserves to be torn to pieces."

Just half a day before the three-day deadline for life and death, Jiang Boyu reappeared! Shen Wei and the others returned to their dormitory after class in the afternoon and found Jiang Boyu, who had been missing for many days, sitting on his own bed in a daze.

Shen Wei practically lunged forward and hugged him tightly. Overjoyed, he exclaimed, "Old Jiang, you're finally back!" He looked like a long-lost brother reunited with his friend after ten years of hardship.

Aside from looking extremely tired and having longer hair and beard, Jiang Boyu appeared otherwise normal. His clothes were also neat and clean—as if he had just returned from a trip.

Despite his excitement, Shen Wei didn't forget the important matter. Seeing that Jiang Boyu was alright, he didn't bother to ask any more questions and grabbed Jiang Boyu's arm to head to the student affairs office. Jiang Boyu pushed Shen Wei's hand away and said, "I can go by myself."

So, on that clear, sunny evening with colorful clouds in the sky, Jiang Boyu walked ahead, with Shen Wei following three steps behind him, and they walked together toward the Student Affairs Office.

Surprisingly, "Four-Eyes" didn't lose his temper. Perhaps Jiang Boyu wasn't as fierce and irritable as they had imagined. Or perhaps, after watching the videotape, they could understand that there was a reason for what happened.

According to Jiang Boyu's account, he took a train back to his hometown, a small city in western Hunan, on the night of the incident. Regarding the reason for his "escape," Jiang Boyu said he didn't know he would injure Hu Tianjun so severely. He was too angry at the time—he couldn't understand how someone could lack even the most basic sense of right and wrong. If his impulsiveness hadn't led to the game being stopped, this misjudged call might have ruined the future of the football team he was coaching!

Jiang Boyu admitted that he was being too serious. When "Four-Eyes" asked him if it was worth it—it was just a school competition—he insisted, "As long as I have a clear conscience, then it's worth it." This angered "Four-Eyes," who gave him a severe dressing-down and a profound lecture on his values and outlook on life.

Jiang Boyu said he ran away because he didn't want to hand in the "self-criticism" that he had to submit the next day. Moreover, he was extremely frustrated and pessimistic at the time—pessimistic about fairness and justice in the world. In his pessimism, the only solution Jiang Boyu could think of was to find a quiet place to be alone. But he didn't go home—obviously, that would worry his parents and lead to questions. He stayed at a high school classmate's house, and every day he would sit by the moat or climb to the top of Phoenix Mountain outside the city and stay there until sunset.

Jiang Boyu's reasoning struck "Four-Eyes" as utterly naive and laughable. He tried to uncover Jiang Boyu's underlying malice and violent tendencies, but to no avail. He couldn't discern Jiang Boyu's thoughts; aside from recounting events, this boy with naturally melancholic eyes remained mostly silent. He was unmoved by "Four-Eyes's" teachings, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Finally, "Four Eyes" coldly said, "Even if you are not held legally responsible, you will still be expelled from school! No matter where Hu Tianjun went wrong, you started it this time, and it almost resulted in a death!"

Jiang Boyu calmly said, "I'm mentally prepared for this."

Jiang Boyu refused to comply with the Student Affairs Office's requirements to submit a profound written self-criticism and apologize to Hu Tianjun at the hospital.

He lay in his dormitory every day, just like when he hadn't caught up with He Jihong. His expression remained calm and serene. Even when he occasionally went out to buy something or get food from the cafeteria—and many classmates stared at him and pointed at him—he remained unperturbed.

Jiang Boyu acted as if nothing had happened. He simply left and then returned. Now, he's just preparing to leave again.

He only made one request to the student affairs office: that his parents not be involved in the matter for the time being. He also promised to find a way to repay Hu Zhongjun's medical expenses—by the time Jiang Boyu returned, the school had already advanced more than 12,000 yuan for Hu Zhongjun.

Jiang Boyu seemed to have never talked about his family with anyone. It was only this time, when he asked the "four-eyed" section chief to keep it a secret from his parents, that he mentioned it—his mother had been laid off, and his father was just an ordinary cadre at the local agricultural bureau's seed station. They were both getting old, and he didn't want them to suffer such a blow.

The student affairs office granted Jiang Boyu's request, giving him a month to raise the money. They also suspended him from classes to continue reflecting on his actions.

During that period, almost everyone around Jiang Boyu was talking about him. They all lamented his dramatic experiences and his continuously declining life trajectory. In most people's eyes, what could a student who hadn't even graduated from university, and was even expelled, possibly do in this complex and fiercely competitive society? Perhaps, even survival was a major problem.

Shen Wei and Duan Youzhi didn't dare to say anything or joke with Jiang Boyu during this time. They cautiously greeted Jiang Boyu after he woke up and tentatively inquired about the progress of things.

One day, Shen Wei ran into Wang Danyang on his way to class and said, "Damn it, I'm going to go crazy from holding this in. I want to punch everyone I see!" Wang Danyang was still actively working on Jiang Boyu's case, and had even thought about organizing a private fundraising event—but after calculating that relying on each person to donate five or ten yuan wouldn't do much good, and would only make people mistakenly think that he was helping Hu Tianjun by donating money—so he reluctantly gave up the idea.

But she would call or meet with Shen Wei every day to discuss how to handle the situation. Even Shen Wei was deeply moved by her actions, saying that even if Jiang Boyu were her own brother, he wouldn't be this kind.

However, once comparisons are made, distinctions of closeness and distance, of high and low status, also emerge. Shen Wei once asked Wang Danyang with dissatisfaction, "Why isn't He Jihong making any moves? It's just you running around all the time." Wang Danyang pouted and said, "She's busy! Besides, she's not on the football team anymore!"

After that trip with Wang Danyang and Shen Wei to copy the videotape, He Jihong rarely appeared in public.

She was indeed very busy, juggling several tutoring jobs, working part-time at the school cafeteria, and serving as the class's Youth League secretary. Moreover, medical students have a much heavier academic workload than other STEM students. Logically, it's understandable that she didn't have time to concern herself with this matter.

She saw Jiang Boyu again in the student cafeteria.

It was already 6:10 PM. Very few students had come to eat; the large cafeteria only had a few people and two couples. He Jihong's busiest time was over. She had been shuttling between the food counters for an hour, and was so tired she could barely straighten her back. Now she could finally relax, wipe her sweat, or sit down for a short rest. She could go home when the cafeteria closed at 6:30 PM.

But she felt a pair of eyes watching her, so she instinctively looked around the cafeteria—in fact, she didn’t need to look carefully at all—and before she knew it, Jiang Boyu was sitting empty-handed on a chair at the very end of the corner of the cafeteria.

He didn't avoid her prying gaze. His eyes looked at her calmly, without joy or sorrow. It had been almost a week since Jiang Boyu returned.

He Jihong, holding a rag and a small shovel in one hand, took the initiative to walk over.

"Hello! You're back?" He Jihong sat down opposite him.

"Hmm." Jiang Boyu nodded, without saying much more.

"It's good that you're back. We have to face reality. What do you think?" He Jihong said with a faint smile.

"I know." Jiang Boyu's hands moved back and forth on the edge of the dining table. His voice was also very low.

Everyone has moments of impulsiveness. But the sun always shines after the storm, doesn't it?

"Perhaps...yes! I came today to say goodbye to you." Jiang Boyu's eyes were slightly red as he said this.

He Jihong didn't seem particularly surprised. She had actually been aware of the progress of the matter all along, and was also aware of Jiang Boyu's current uncooperative stance with the school.

"Really? Where will you go after you go out?"

"I don't know. But, the world is so big, there must be a place for me." When he said the last part, Jiang Boyu's voice became excited and loud.

“However, I have never seen such an irresponsible boy as you!” He Jihong’s face suddenly turned cold.

Jiang Boyu was somewhat stunned. "Me? Irresponsible?"

He Jihong continued slowly, "Your parents raised you with great difficulty and spent a lot of their hard-earned money to send you to university. Think about it, you're not just living for yourself, are you? If that's the case, you can go wherever you want and nobody will care about you. Who doesn't want to roam the world and make their way in the world? But what do you have? Just your little bit of courage? You can't even handle this little thing right now, yet you want to achieve great things?"

"You?! You're talking about me like that!" Jiang Boyu's face turned pale instantly.

"Yes! That's exactly what I'm saying about you! Can you bury your head in the sand for the rest of your life? Are you going to live your whole life on other people's sympathy and your self-righteous heroism? Are you really that irresponsible, wasting your parents' hard work? Are you really that cowardly and ignorant?"

Jiang Boyu was stunned, his mouth agape, unable to utter a word. This was the first time he had ever seen He Jihong speak so eloquently and fluently. Since they had known each other, He Jihong had never spoken so much in one breath. He had always thought she was an easygoing and introverted girl.

Jiang Boyu found that with each encounter, he gained new insights and understanding of He Jihong.

Yes, while everyone else was sympathizing with him and sighing for him, only He Jihong would berate him so harshly. While everyone else was offering him comfort and support, only He Jihong would pour buckets of cold water on him.

But Jiang Boyu still felt wronged. He couldn't accept such sharp and sarcastic words on an emotional level. He opened his mouth, then suddenly stood up, glared angrily at He Jihong, and turned to rush out of the student cafeteria.

Jiang Boyu didn't tell anyone that he went to the cafeteria to say goodbye to He Jihong. His original plan was to say goodbye to He Jihong and never see her again, burying this one-sided love deep in his heart forever.

But He Jihong's words still deeply stung him. Back in his empty dormitory, he buried his head in the blankets, letting out suppressed sobs. He didn't turn on the light; in the darkness, he slowly calmed down. After releasing his tears, he felt much better.

The moonlight outside the window bathed the room in a pure white glow. Jiang Boyu lay on his bed, carefully recalling what He Jihong had told him two hours earlier. He knew in his heart that being expelled from school was inevitable this time—the school was already being lenient by not transferring him to the police station, but he was completely lost about what to do after being expelled. He couldn't even imagine how shocked and saddened his parents would be if the news of his expulsion reached their ears. He was especially worried about his mother, who suffered from high blood pressure and heart disease.

The more than 10,000 yuan in medical compensation, along with the upcoming nutritional compensation, lost wages for family members, and nursing care expenses, weighed heavily on his mind.

Has he thought everything through? Does he have enough courage to face and solve these problems? — Obviously not! Perhaps He Jihong is right; he is too cowardly and ignorant.

Sometime during the night, Jiang Boyu quietly fell asleep under the cold moonlight.

The morning after Jiang Boyu said goodbye to He Jihong, he received a call from Wang Danyang in his dormitory.

It was during the break between classes, and she figured Jiang Boyu would probably be in his dorm.