Chapter Nineteenth: Song Qingguan

  Zhao Heng turned his head and looked at him: "Aren't you supposed to be covering for me?"

  Qiao Yuncai feigned a bewildered expression, scanning his surroundings and replied: "What? Is that true? In my heart, you're the boss. Ah, boss, what was that move you used earlier? Was it Taekwondo? Judo? Long Fist? Or Hong Quan Staff Technique? I've studied those before, like Bagua and Miao Gun."

  "Don't call me boss."

  Qiao Yuncai immediately replied: "Yes, boss, no, brother Heng."

  Zhao Heng shook his head, unable to do anything about this live treasure. Just then, another clear voice called out "Boss", and Zhao Heng, who was deep in thought, slightly furrowed his brow, just as he was about to tell Qiao Baozi not to call him "Boss". But instead, he saw a white-clothed youth walk up beside him, weakly opening his mouth: "Thank you, Boss, thank you for lending a helping hand."

  Qiao Pangzi spread his hands, indicating it wasn't him who called Lao Da.

  "Don't call me boss, and don't thank me."

  Zhao Heng's calm voice responded to the white-clothed youth, this time he took action half for self-defense and half out of sympathy for the latter being bullied. However, either way was fine, he didn't want the youth to repay him, he never bothered with these things: "It was just a simple gesture, don't mind it, you should go back and rest early."

  "Thanks a lot, boss."

  The young man in white clothes kept shouting "Zhao Heng is the boss", rubbing his sore abdomen and cheek, saying: "You saved my life, I should thank you sincerely, but now I'm just a poor student, with nothing to my name, everything has been taken away by my stepmother, so I can only temporarily remember this great kindness of yours."

  "Wait until I have the chance to repay you, if I'm still alive."

  Zhao Heng had already caught something from the conversation earlier, so he patted the white-clothed youth's shoulder and said: "I've told you before, don't call me 'old big brother' again. Don't keep this favor in mind either. By the way, where do you live? I'll send you to your doorstep, lest something unexpected happens along the way."

  "Don't call him Lao Da, call him Heng Ge."

  "Thanks, Brother Heng."

  The young man in white followed Qiao Baozi and changed his tone, then revealed a hint of despair: "Go home? Where do I still have a home to return to? Everything has been taken over by her, even the car was detained by her. And when she sees me, there's only one dead end, definitely like just now, forcing me to sign the transfer agreement."

  Qiao Yuncai slightly tilted his head and smiled: "The wealthy families are indeed full of grudges."

  Just as Zhao Heng was about to ask more questions, he suddenly stared at the white-clothed youth and blurted out a few sentences: "Do you still have anywhere to go? Judging from the attitude of those thugs just now, they will definitely come looking for trouble again, and they will put tonight's bill on your head. Why don't we accompany you to report to the police?"

  "Report an alarm?"

  The young man in white clothes smiled bitterly and replied in a low voice, "If reporting to the police was useful, I wouldn't be chased by them. The world is so heartless! The police said this is our family affair and cannot be handled, it's clear that they were bribed by my stepmother. But I'm no match for them, now if I want to hide, I can only hide in Huahai University."

  Zhao Heng glanced at him: "Hua Hai University?"

  "Let me guess."

  Qiao Pangzi emerged from the side again, like a fortune teller calculating with his fingers: "One plus one is one, nineteen minus nine is ten, ninety-nine returns to one, ah, this gentleman must be a freshman at Hua Hai University and a student of the School of Economics and Management, and lives in dormitory 701 in the southwest, I wonder if it's correct or not?"

  Qiao Pangzi assumed a mysterious posture, with a solemn expression. The white-clothed youth's face showed a hint of shock and incredulity as he stared at Qiao Pangzi: "Ah, how did you know? Do you recognize me? But I've never seen you before, how could you possibly know my secrets? What kind of people are you?"

  Qiao Pangzi said with a straight face: "Hehe, I can observe the stars at night."

  "Alright, don't listen to his nonsense."

  Zhao Heng slapped Qiao Yuncai's head and bluntly exposed his lie: "He must have heard your name earlier, thought of the empty bed in the dormitory with the nameplate, so he guessed that the two were the same person. Unexpectedly, he was hit by him. Song Qingguan, to put it simply, the three of us are from the same dormitory."

  Although he saw through Qiao Yuncai's tricks, Zhao Heng still admired him. This fat man looked stupid and gluttonous, but when it came to analyzing things, he was unpredictable, and he could piece together scattered details to take a gamble, his courage was not ordinary, so he patted him on the shoulder.

  Qiao Pangzi smiled wryly: "Boss, let me show off a bit."

  Song Qingguan was also a clever person, and soon understood the inner workings of the situation. He first looked surprised at such a coincidence, then a hint of delight flashed in his eyes as he said: "We're dorm mates? The world is really too small, I didn't expect that the one who saved my life would be a dorm mate, it seems we really have fate."

  "It's fate, indeed it's fate."

  Zhao Heng pointed at the two of them and smiled:

  "One brings wealth, one is a government official, it seems our dormitory will really get promoted and wealthy!"

  Qiao Yuncai and Song Qingguan were taken aback at first, then burst out laughing. However, after just two laughs, Song Qingguan started to wince in pain again, clearly due to the injuries on his body. Zhao Heng quickly reached out to help him gently rub it to relieve the discomfort. Qiao Baozi also rubbed his belly and said, "After walking such a long way, I'm hungry again."

  "Huh, selling cut glutinous rice cake? Boss, I'll go get some."

  Qiao Baozi gazed at the several flatbed carts in the distance, on which were being sold fragrant rice cakes. Several uncles wearing hats were shouting at passersby. Qiao Yuncai couldn't help but swallow his saliva upon seeing the rice cakes. Just as Zhao Heng was speechless that Qiao Baozi could eat, Song Qingguan suddenly pulled him back: "Don't go..."

  Qiao Pangzi's eyes widened: "Why don't you want to go? I'll get some for you to supplement your diet."

  Song Qingguan didn't explain much, but pulled Qiao Yuncai towards the school: "If you want to eat something, go buy it at school, Hua Da has everything!" Then he suddenly changed his tone: "Besides, this place is not far from where things happened, we'd better hide early, otherwise if Qing Bang finds us, it'll be troublesome. Two roommates, let's go!"

  Although Song Qingguan's words left Qiao Baozi bewildered, he felt that not entering the school was indeed somewhat dangerous. So, he abandoned his intention to buy pastries and instead quickened his pace to enter the school gate. As they walked onto the Green Shade Avenue, Qiao Yuncaifailed to hold back his greatest curiosity: "Little Song, what exactly happened tonight?"

  "We're in the same dormitory, you tell me what's going on."

  Qiao Pangzi Chun said: "Maybe we can help you."

  Although Zhao Heng wasn't someone who liked gossip, he had already been drawn into this feud tonight, and Song Qingguan was still his roommate after all. In the future, they would inevitably have more interactions with Du Yan, so he didn't mind using Fatso's question as an opportunity to understand the ins and outs of this matter, which could serve as a precaution.

  "That's how it is."

  Song Qingguan, who had found a kindred spirit, seemed to have forgotten the pain on his body. As he walked with Zhao Heng towards school on the long street, he suddenly blurted out the events of tonight: "I'm Song Qingguan, a local, my father is a well-known real estate businessman, and we have some wealth and status in Huahai. My mother passed away in a car accident last year."

  His eyes were filled with a hint of tears, and it was clear that he had deep feelings for his mother: "My father, who has been socializing and entertaining for years, couldn't bear the loneliness, so this year he met a beautiful woman, and in less than two months, he brought her home, and even plans to get married during the Spring Festival. Although I was conflicted at the time, I still supported my father."

  "After all, an old father also needs someone to take care of him, but unexpectedly this woman is not a good person."

  "She is the niece of Qing Bang Zhang Xiao Lin, ruthless as a snake and scorpion!"

  Zhao Heng furrowed his brow: "The Qing Bang again?"

  Song Qing's face revealed a hint of surprise: "Boss, have you had dealings with the Qing Bang before?"

  Zhao Heng didn't mention anything about Fei Hu Ge and his gang, he just looked at Song Qing Guan and opened his mouth:

  "No, I've heard of them, go on!"