A month had passed, and according to the Federal Capital Star Circle's view, it should be late autumn. However, for the people of the Eastwood area, the seasons of this world were not always distinct. The atmosphere seemed to create a hazy barrier, making the entire star feel like a strange greenhouse. So-called late autumn meant adding more layers of clothing.
On this day, Xu Le wore a heavy blue coat, resembling a uniform, which added a youthful vitality to his otherwise ordinary appearance. He sat outside the repair shop window on Xianglan Avenue, seemingly indifferent but actually keeping a vigilant eye on the street across from him.
In the diagonal corner of the fourth block stood the construction of the Hexi Province's second police station. A middle-aged man, wearing a windproof coat, descended the slightly wet stairs and got into a car. The police officers around saluted him, some with sympathetic gazes.
Seeing this, Xu Le felt more at ease. He had been observing Bao Longtao for a month and it seemed that the deputy director was genuinely scared of his supposed status as a federal special agent. He didn't dare to investigate the matter of the Bell Tower Street parade again, nor did he do anything to suppress Li Wei and the group of orphans.
Xu Le possessed a calmness beyond his years and had an innate sensitivity to certain things. He was absolutely sure that Bao Longtao hadn't recognized him, but he also knew better than to approach him using another identity. He didn't let his seemingly calm exterior make him complacent in observing Deputy Director Bao. He watched patiently, waiting for the right time.
Although he and the repair shop boss shared a common interest in Jian Shui'er, Xu Le wasn't willing to take such a big risk just to watch television. It didn't align with his character. If it weren't for the boss involving him during the operation, mentioning the 23 channels, Xu Le would have at most sighed and bought a few Jian Shui'er CDs.
He was somewhat afraid. He felt that he was playing with fire by involving himself with the governor's office. Xu Le was afraid that he would lose control. Especially during the evenings when Bao Longtao's gaze was fixed on him, his thighs would start to twitch uncontrollably, which he feared would give him away.
That night, if he hadn't been quick-witted, pretending to be a liaison officer with two fake badges, intimidating Bao Longtao with a military-grade electric shock stick, he wouldn't have known how to handle the situation. He aimed his trembling finger at the electronic monitor in the night wind, seemingly steady yet full of fear.
"Pretending to be a federal special agent..." Xu Le's complexion turned somewhat ugly as he lowered his head and muttered to himself, "I don't like pretending to be cool. I want to find a balance."
"It's harder to be a good person than to pretend," Boss Feng Yu returned from his leisure activity and briskly passed by Xu Le, like a gust of wind, heading upstairs to rest.
...
...
Over the past two years, Xu Le had rarely been seen in the repair shop on Xianglan Avenue. Instead, he spent most of his time in the mine tunnel, carrying out repairs. In the eyes of Li Wei and the other orphans, he had essentially disappeared from the city for two years.
A month ago, Xu Le completed the task assigned by Feng Yu, and Feng Yu promised to raise his Dustless Rank. However, the lazy boss changed his mind and brought Xu Le back to the repair shop. He officially introduced this young apprentice to the residents of the fourth block.
Now that the boss was back, Xu Le no longer needed to watch over the shop. Despite the shop's limited business, everyone in the fourth block knew about Feng Yu's craftsmanship and his young apprentice. But no one could match Feng Yu's speed in repairing and restoring television crystal screens.
Wearing the uniform of a diligent student, Xu Le shouted something toward the building, then left the shop and took the cable car at the intersection.
Hundreds of years ago, after the invention of the static agricultural high-energy accumulator cells, cable cars were introduced, freeing people from the burden of carrying heavy loads on their heads. Of course, most people had their own means of transportation, but the poor and those who appreciated nostalgia continued to use the cable car. Xu Le, with his two braids untied, had become a regular passenger on the cable car. He stood by the door, watching the city's architecture flash by at an angle, feeling a slight regret that he couldn't hear the sounds of the literary works anymore.
The cable car's terminal was the Eastwood Area's Hexi Province University. After Xu Le got off, he didn't cast an envious glance at the majestic campus surrounding him. Instead, he walked along the school fence, passed by a big tree, and entered the library.
He didn't attend school, but he had to study. It was a request from Feng Yu, and it was also his own earnest desire. In addition to books on machine repair and federal regulations, he loved reading all kinds of novels. Ever since he obtained a library card from the state university, he came here every day, feeling as if these books held endless possibilities, like countless beautiful women waiting for him with boundless futures.
As he left the library, holding a stack of books, a surprised person appeared before the gates of the state university. It was Li Wei, whom Xu Le hadn't seen in a month. Seeing the slightly thin and pale face of the leader of the orphans, Xu Le suddenly felt his lips dry up. He didn't know what had happened, but his voice became hoarse as he asked, "Don't tell me you have the ambition to enroll in university."
"I only have the ambition to seize the entire Hexi Province at night," Li Wei's voice was also hoarse, but he wasn't nervous, which put Xu Le at ease.
"You confiscated the things I gave you, but don't worry, no one knows they were from me," Li Wei licked his dry lips. They had been fighting against another faction all night, and he was truly exhausted.
Xu Le's eyes sparkled, not with excitement, but with anxiety. His thigh started to twitch involuntarily, and the books in his arms became heavier and heavier.