“Zhang Yu, you wait for me in the restaurant. Just order a few dishes; I have something to take care of and will be back soon!” I said to Zhang Yu as I entered the restaurant.
Zhang Yu pouted and looked at me, saying, “Where are you going?”
“None of your business! Just stay here, and I’ll be back shortly!” I replied irritably, then headed towards the door.
“Hey! I didn’t bring any money, remember to come back and pay the bill!” Zhang Yu shouted after me.
Once outside the restaurant, I walked straight towards the school. I had just called Zhang Peng and told him to give me a call when he was near the restaurant, and to not go in yet. I was worried that if Zhang Yu saw him, he would leave immediately. As for Zhang Peng, I hadn’t told him that I was with Zhang Yu.
The matter between these two brothers would be difficult to resolve if they didn’t talk it out. Moreover, I now knew that my parents were murdered, not killed in a car accident. I needed manpower, or rather, I needed to build a force to help me take revenge!
“Hey! What are you doing?” As I reached the school gate, the guard poked his head out and asked me.
I smiled and said, “I’m an alumnus, here to visit my former homeroom teacher!”
“Why do you look like someone who isn’t a good person?” The guard looked at me with some suspicion.
I don’t look like a good person? With my handsome and manly looks, there are hardly any guys like me around! How could he say I don’t look like a good person? This guard must have his eyes in the wrong place!
Not wanting to waste time with him, I simply jumped over the gate.
“You, what are you doing!” The guard exclaimed, surprised by my actions.
I shot him a glare, genuinely not wanting to talk to him, and walked towards the teaching building.
Sister Qian should still be the homeroom teacher for Class Four, right? Thinking this, I headed towards Class Four, but from outside the window, I didn’t see Sister Qian’s figure.
Homeroom teachers don’t necessarily teach just one class, but there are at least ten classrooms in the senior year. I didn’t want to check each one, so I went straight to the principal’s office.
However, when I reached the principal’s office door, I was surprised to hear enticing sounds coming from inside—soft “mmhm” and “ahh” noises. Although they were quiet, my hearing was surprisingly sharp, and I caught every sound.
For someone as pure as me, it was better to listen a little longer to such sounds… But how long has this Wang Tong been at it? I mean, it’s been half an hour already! He’s in his forties, is his stamina really that strong?
Whatever! I thought, and kicked the principal’s office door open.
But I seemed to have misunderstood Principal Wang; he was the only one in the office.
“Who is it! Don’t you know to knock before entering?” Wang Tong hurriedly covered his notebook and said.
So it turns out this principal was watching an adult film… It’s not as evil as I thought. I mean, how could a middle-aged man be so enduring?
“It’s me, Xia Tian!” I put away my smile and said to Wang Tong with a straight face.
Wang Tong was taken aback, looking up at me in disbelief, but having been through so much, he quickly regained his composure and smiled, “Oh, it’s Young Master Xia. What brings you back to this humble place?”
“Come on! I’m clearly still very young!” I replied to Wang Tong, somewhat annoyed.
After that, I remembered the reason I came here and said to Wang Tong, “Forget it, I came back to find Sister Qian, but it seems she’s not here, so I came to ask you to announce it over the loudspeaker.”
Wang Tong paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, then scratched his head and said, “Miss Zhao has already left and gone to another place!”
“You mean Sister Qian left?! Where did she go?” I asked Wang Tong, somewhat surprised.
Wang Tong smiled helplessly and said, “I don’t know about that…”
I didn’t expect Sister Qian to have already left San Zhong. Could it be that she’s no longer teaching? Just as I was pondering this, my phone suddenly rang. Seeing that it was Zhang Peng, I knew he had arrived, so I hung up and said to Wang Tong, “Principal Wang, I have something to take care of, so I’ll be leaving now. Enjoy your movie, but remember to keep the volume down!”
I stepped out of the school gate, and after walking a short distance, I spotted a van parked near the restaurant. I guessed it was Zhang Peng’s, so I went over to greet him.
Zhang Peng got out of the car, handed me a cigarette, and asked, “What do Brother Tian want from me?”
“Brother Peng, you’re really making me feel awkward here. Let’s go inside first!” I smiled at Zhang Peng and walked straight into the restaurant.
“Damn! I thought you really weren’t coming. The boss was about to kick me out…” Zhang Yu cursed as he spoke. Halfway through, he noticed Zhang Peng behind me and immediately frowned, saying, “What are you doing here?”
Zhang Peng looked surprised and was momentarily speechless.
“I was the one who called him!” I said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu became unhappy: “You called him over? Xia Tian, let me tell you, if we want to enjoy our meal today, it’s either him or me!”
“Are you being stubborn? You and your brother have a misunderstanding. Can’t you let him explain a bit?” I shouted at Zhang Yu.
Zhang Yu turned his face away while sitting in the chair, saying, “I have nothing to say to him!”
“You know my personality. Just have a good chat with your brother!” I told Zhang Yu, then turned to Zhang Peng and said, “Brother Peng, it’s better to clarify some things!”
Zhang Peng glanced at me and nodded gratefully.
I smiled, said nothing, and walked out of the restaurant to sit in Zhang Peng’s car. Although Zhang Yu spoke harshly, I understood his temperament. If he truly didn’t want to hear Zhang Peng’s explanation, he would have left long ago. Since he stayed, it proved he was willing to give Zhang Peng a chance to explain.
There was nothing more I could do; whether these brothers could resolve their issues depended on themselves.
After a long while, Zhang Yu and Zhang Peng walked out of the restaurant together.
I got out of the car and looked at the two of them, asking, “Did you sort things out?”
“Yeah…” Zhang Yu replied, looking down.
Seeing that they had resolved their issue, I sighed in relief and said, “Auntie is just upset because of the things that Brother Peng did. Now I’ll tell you my true identity!” I took a deep breath and continued, “I am the current head of the Xia family, the foremost of the four great families in the capital. I can offer you both legitimate jobs that guarantee better income than what you have now, but I have something to tell you…”
I revealed to them the circumstances surrounding my parents’ murder. Uncle Fu suspected that the one who killed my parents was a master of ancient martial arts, so I needed to establish a force and train some experts to have a chance at revenge. After all, one person’s strength is limited.
“As for how you decide, that’s up to you.” Both Zhang Yu and Zhang Peng are talented, but Zhang Yu is my brother, and I don’t want him to take that risk. If he disagrees, then I’ll just offer both of them a job each.
Zhang Yu thought for a moment and then said, “You idiot! I don’t care which family you come from, but you said we’re brothers. Your parents are my parents, and I’m definitely helping with the revenge!”
“And you helped my family take revenge. I, Zhang Peng, am not an ungrateful person, so my choice is the same as Zhang Yu’s!” Zhang Peng said, looking at me.
I nodded and said with relief, “Good! You can withdraw whenever you want, as this matter isn’t simple.”
“What you’re saying is nonsense! Once we join, we have no intention of backing out!” Zhang Yu laughed and scolded me.
Seeing this situation, I couldn’t help but smile. This is what brotherhood is about; no matter what your identity is, no matter how powerful your enemies are, as long as he can help, he will definitely lend a hand. I glanced at Zhang Yu and Zhang Peng, then said, “But before we leave, we need to call one more person.”
“Who?” Zhang Peng and Zhang Yu asked in unison.
I replied casually, “Liu Zhanqian!”