Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Wang Hai didn’t used to be called Wang Hai; his name was Qin Song.

Qin Song wasn’t originally from Mingdu, either. His hometown was City A.

Mingdu was in the south, while City A was in the north.

He was a true northern man through and through.

Qin Song was born into an ordinary family. He had a younger brother named Qin Bao. Since they were young, his brother had been well-behaved and sensible, with a silver tongue and a submissive attitude toward their parents. Qin Song, on the other hand, was more mischievous and overbearing.

His parents failed to balance the scales and favored his younger brother a bit more, a fact Qin Song was well aware of. Consequently, he chose to simply “lie flat,” becoming someone who refused to flatter others or bow his head when things got tough.

Ever since junior high, Qin Song’s best friend had been Hu Heng.

Hu Heng’s personality didn’t match his name at all; he was neither reckless nor overbearing. He was tall and sturdy with a simple, honest nature. Because his mother had been in poor health since he was a child, he was more filial and sensible than others his age. He had also struggled with a stutter for a time as a kid, so even after he moved past that awkward phase, he still didn’t like to talk much.

In junior high, Qin Song and Hu Heng lived only a street apart, and they would run into each other every time they went to school. Over time, they became friends. They went to school and back together, played Legend at internet cafes together, and discussed which girl in their class was developing the best.

Qin Song’s school was located in an area of City A that was essentially a fringe zone between the city and the countryside. The school management wasn’t strict, and students often hung out with local hoodlums.

Eventually, Qin Song’s stubborn, competitive nature caught the eye of the troublemakers in his class.

One day, on his way home from school, Qin Song was cornered by a group of thugs.

They trapped him in a narrow alley, surrounding him. Qin Song hadn’t been in many fights growing up; his fingertips felt icy, and his calves wouldn’t stop shaking inside his baggy school uniform pants.

Just as he was at a loss for what to do, someone suddenly called out from outside the crowd:

“Qin Song!”

The thugs turned around in unison to see Hu Heng running toward them, looking as simple-minded as ever while clutching his schoolbag.

Qin Song’s vision went dark for a moment. He thought to himself that this guy was going to get beaten up right along with him today.

The leader of the thugs sneered at the approaching Hu Heng. With a twisted mouth, he said, “Well, this is interesting. Where the hell did this idiot pop out from-”

Before he could finish, the heavy schoolbag in Hu Heng’s hand suddenly swung up. With a loud *thwack*, it slammed into the leader’s face. Caught off guard, the thug fell flat on his back.

“Qin Song! Run!!”

Qin Song was dazed for a second before charging through the stunned thugs and sprinting toward home for dear life.

Qin Song’s mother was coming home from work when she ran right into him as he was rushing out the door with a knife in his hand.

“You little brat, what are you doing with a knife?”

“Mom, Mom, stay out of this! I’m going to go fight them to the death!”

“What nonsense! Fight who to the death?”

Qin Song’s eyes instantly turned red, and he began to wail with a sob in his voice: “Hu Heng! Hu Heng is going to get beaten up! I have to save him! What if they kill him!”

…

By the time Qin Song reached the hospital, Hu Heng was slowly walking out. He had four stitches in his head, which was wrapped in a white medical mesh.

He looked at Qin Song and gave a simple, honest smile.

“It’s fine. Right after they knocked me down, some adults came by to stop it and scared those bastards off.”

Qin Song looked at him and nodded. He wanted to say something but swallowed it back down.

After a moment’s hesitation, he whispered, “Actually, I went back for you. I even grabbed a knife, but my mom…”

Hu Heng laughed again, his broad, heavy hand patting Qin Song on the shoulder.

“Aiya, I know. It’s fine. Isn’t everything okay now?”

Looking at Hu Heng’s large head wrapped in that mesh net, Qin Song suddenly couldn’t help but burst out laughing. He laughed even as he wiped tears away with the back of his hand.

Hu Heng started chuckling too, though he quickly grimaced, saying he couldn’t laugh because it made his head hurt.

Qin Song felt that, from that day forward, he and Hu Heng shared a bond forged in life and death.