An early… Happy new year greeting?
Hu Xiaoniu's father couldn’t react for a while; he didn't even understand how their conversation took a sudden turn to this topic.
The other students were also confused. The Liu Dezhu in front of them seemed to be a bit out of tune with his masterful image in their imagination.
On the side, a student from Class 3 whispered to the student committee member Yu Junyi, “Hey, do you think he has a system?”
“System?” pondered Yu Junyi. He didn't understand what his classmate meant.
In their class, Yu Junyi had always been a diligent student who never played games or read novels, so he didn't even know what a system was.
His classmate patiently explained, “Just like in NovelHubs, a system will issue some random tasks to its host, and completing the tasks can make the host stronger.”
“Huh?” Yu Junyi was bewildered.
The classmate continued talking, “But in those novels, usually only the protagonist has this kind of treatment. Is Liu Dezhu the protagonist of our world? Other than the system, there’s no way to explain how he could be both so strong and so mentally challenged at the same time…”
In fact, this classmate's judgment was very accurate.
From a certain point of view, Qing Chen was indeed Liu Dezhu's system…
However, completing this task won’t give Liu Dezhu any reward — it was purely a punishment for his greed.
Because Hu Xiaoniu and Zhang Tianzhen still needed plenty of rest, the students left after a brief visit.
Once everyone left, Hu Xiaoniu's father turned around and reentered the ward.
Hu Xiaoniu opened his eyes and asked in a weak voice, “Dad, what do you think of Liu Dezhu?”
“I can’t be sure for now,” Hu Xiaoniu's father shook his head.
“We hadn’t been through any crisis before, so I couldn't see this person clearly,” Hu Xiaoniu spoke, “But this incident makes me feel like there’s something amiss. He’s managed to obtain a precious genetic medicine, so I can’t exactly call him incompetent, but he really doesn't act like a capable person at all. Dad, can this kind of person truly catch Li Shutong’s eye?”
“There are two possibilities. Son, do you know how many incompetent eunuchs have there been in history? Wang Zhen, the head eunuch of the Ming Dynasty, caused the downfall of Emperor Yingzong and ruined three elite Ming battalions almost single-handedly. How could such a man be able to own overwhelming power and influence? Perhaps he was good at licking people’s boots, or perhaps his loyalty and devotion had been recognized by the emperor.”
Hu Xiaoniu's father said, “A wise leader is surrounded not only by top soldiers and great generals, but all kinds of people.”
“Another possibility is that someone else is using him as a puppet, just like how some of our family’s shares are held by another person.”
“Dad, which situation do you think is more likely?” asked Hu Xiaoniu.
Hu Xiaoniu's father shook his head. “There’s no need to make a conclusion so early, no matter which situation Liu Dezhu falls in, this is your opportunity. The family will give you our full Discover more novels on NovelHub - your gateway to endless stories. I know you envy your brother. He can start taking over some of the family business, but you’re still young, you might not be able to do what he can do. And who knows, maybe your brother will be the one needing your help in the future.”
Hu Xiaoniu suddenly asked, “That’s right, Dad, why did you tell me not to give him too many gold bars at once? He saved my life twice, logically, even paying a hundred gold bars is not too much.”
His father smiled. “Let’s assume Liu Dezhu is somebody else’s puppet. The person using him must be very short of money now, otherwise, gold bars won’t be the only remuneration he asks for. But if you pay him a hundred gold bars in one go and he no longer lacks money, what else can you give him in the future? At that time, he won’t be needing anything from you anymore.”
“But what if someone else offers him a higher price?” Hu Xiaoniu wondered.
“Then you have to befriend him before that can happen,” answered his father profoundly.
“Understood.” Hu Xiaoniu suddenly recalled, “How about Wang Yun?”
“Both of her legs were broken, so she was sent to the hospital for treatment. You haven’t woken up at that time, and although Kun Lun had some doubts, they didn’t spare too much thought about it. This morning, her parents arrived in Luo City, paid off all the doctors and nurses on duty, and secretly took her away,” Hu Xiaoniu’s father added on, “It’s not Kun Lun’s fault. Everyone knew there was something suspicious about her, but nobody expected her to play such grave a role in this matter.”
Hu Xiaoniu regained his consciousness early in the morning and immediately told his father about Wang Yun, but at that time she had already escaped with the help of her parents.
“But Bai Wan'er should’ve guessed that she’s a traitor, why didn't she say anything?” Hu Xiaoniu was frowning.
“Maybe she can't bear to see her best friend go to jail.” His father calmly said, "Xiaoniu, you have to remember that when someone becomes an enemy, any act of forgiveness is not kindness, but cowardice.”
“I will,” replied Hu Xiaoniu.
His father continued, “Nobody knows where Wang Yun has gone to hide, I haven't been able to find her as well. More importantly, the only surviving thug named Dongzi insists he doesn't know anything, and there’s no evidence of the mutual connection between Wang Yun and the group of criminals. It seems like their communication is entirely dependent on another person hiding behind the scenes.”
Hu Xiaoniu thought it was strange. “There’s something I’m doubtful about. The four thugs who kidnapped us that day were all arrested by Kun Lun, so how did they manage to contact Wang Yun? But we’re going to transmigrate again soon, I’ll look for her in the Inner World.”
His father glanced at him. “You want to seek revenge on Wang Yun?”
Hu Xiaoniu fell silent for a while. “Can I?”
The middle-aged businessman smiled. “Of course you can, but I want to know the reason you’re so hell-bent on it. When he woke up this morning, Tianzhen said that for the sake of revenge, you told the killer not to care about your survival and chase after the thugs. This isn’t like you.”
He knew his son well: he possessed some cleverness and wisdom, but he had not yet experienced the harshness of society.
There was integrity in his character, but he had not figured out what kind of person he wanted to be.
However, Hu Xiaoniu said, “When I was a child, grandpa always told brother and I stories of the time he fought in the war, of how his old commander heroically sacrificed himself in order to let other people retreat to safety. I’m a relatively selfish person, and perhaps it’s also because the era of wars feels too distant, I always thought that grandpa was exaggerating. But Dad, yesterday I finally understood, there really are people like that in this world. I may not be able to become that person, but I hope I can at least do something for them.”
“Dad, yesterday, those two friends from Kun Lun sacrificed their lives to open a lifeline for the students. Later, when the thugs took me away, I looked back and saw a smile of relief on his face. There was no trace of regret.”