There's an old saying that a dog can't spit out ivory.
The loafers on the streets had pretty much no lofty ambitions; their philosophy of life was limited to four words: eat, drink, whore, gamble.
Wang Yunxiao admitted he had slightly high hopes for Lv'er.
He had thought he might offer some great fortune, but after much talk, it was just about looking after a place for him.
And it wasn't even a brothel or a casino.
It was a tiny gambling den hidden in an alley, with just two tables where neighbors and friends gathered to drink and play cards. At most, they threw in a couple of dice and a set of Pai Gow. They didn't even dare to bet big, just one or two cents at a time—it was hardly something to boast about.
The police couldn't care less. How much profit could there be in that?
Lv'er's imagination probably couldn't stretch further than that as the most profitable business. And that was only possible after all the major thugs were caught and executed, then he'd daringly resurface, unable to get rid of his crooked desires.
He couldn't manage the place alone, and with his habits, it was likely he wasn't just into gambling; he might need a few hits of opium too. Wang Yunxiao figured he could knock his brains out with a single punch.
So, the idea and motivation to partner were fine, but the problem was those five ounces of Silver.
Was it possible for a character like him to casually pull out five ounces of Snowflake Silver from his pocket?
Or more to the point, could he keep that money in his possession?
Wang Yunxiao thought, if I believed him, I might as well believe I'm the reincarnation of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.
If he had been dealing with another loafer, flashing those five ounces of Silver could make anyone call him Grandpa; no one would think too much about it.
But Wang Yunxiao was not your average loafer. Not to mention his transmigrated self, even the original body's owner wouldn't be easily fooled.
On the way back, he had already made up his mind.
This wasn't as simple as it seemed; all that talk of a coincidental meeting was mere nonsense. Lv'er had clearly been trailing them since they climbed over the wall!
The Silver was burning a hole in his pocket, and he planned to report it immediately upon returning.
He couldn't turn to Nurse Liu this time. Wang Yunxiao had thought there might be a romantic link between her and Huo Qingyang, making her easy to talk to. Turned out, she was a thoroughly modern young woman, staunchly independent and would handle her problems without bothering others.
Two shots and she had disabled Shen Haowen.
If he encountered any demons or monsters in the future, he could seek Nurse Liu's help, but not this time; this situation didn't require such heavy firepower.
Wang Yunxiao decided to go to Principal Zhou.
The principal's office was sparsely furnished; apart from two sofas for guests and a pair of green vines, there were hardly any other decorations.
There was no bookcase, nor were there any famous calligraphies on the walls. Only a yellowing map of Tianmen City was framed with glass on the wall, stuffed with many old photos.
Having listened to Wang Yunxiao's report, Principal Zhou remained silent for a moment before gesturing for him to sit down.
"Would you like some tea?"
"Uh…"
This response was indeed beyond Wang Yunxiao's expectations. He had assumed that the principal would either dismiss the issue he reported as trivial and send him away or take it seriously enough to seek a solution.
And in the end, he was asked if he wanted tea?
Isn't our entire school committed to this ascetic style?
However, as he hesitated, Principal Zhou had already stood up, skillfully picked up the teapot, made a pot of hot tea, and pushed it in front of him.
"When I was your age, I was much more formidable than you."
Principal Zhou sat down across from Wang Yunxiao and said calmly, "Don't disbelieve me. Back then, I hung out with more friends than you and yet, I wasn't the leader of our group—I could, at best, come up with some bad ideas. Look back at that photo behind you. Do you recognize that person?"
Wang Yunxiao, of course, did not recognize him.
"The Ship Captain of the first-class battleship Liuguang of the Southern Fleet, Zhang Kangyi, my classmate, has already sacrificed his life."
"And the other two next to him, Chen Dongzhen and Xu Jianxing, one a division commander and the other a brigade commander. Chen Dongzhen was also your father's former superior. Though not from the same class as me, he was a brother who shared a bunk with me. When the nation needed them, they joined the navy without even attending college, and both sacrificed their lives."
Principal Zhou took a sip of tea and did not continue introducing the other individuals in the photos set behind glass.
"Wang Yunxiao, you're already fourteen years old. In my eyes, you are an adult. Your coming to me today because of this matter shows that you can still distinguish right from wrong, you're not beyond help, and that comforts me."
"When I was your age, our country wasn't like this. You weren't born in that era; you probably can't imagine it. We spent almost half a lifetime shedding blood and sweat to build the country to what it is today. We strived so that children of your age could sit in classrooms and focus on their studies, without having to endure the hardships we did..."
"I know the radishes and potatoes in the cafeteria are awful, but what can we do? I've done the best I could. If you don't want to eat such terrible food, then you need to study hard, grow up, and help build our country, so your juniors can have eggs and milk in the cafeteria."
"You are the older brother here; being an older brother requires setting an example and taking responsibility. I am the principal of this school, and it's right for you to come to me with such issues. I have only one requirement for my students, and that is to study. I'll handle external affairs of the school. As long as I am still the principal, you don't have to worry about these issues. I hope that when you look after your brothers, you also bear this responsibility."
Principal Zhou spoke earnestly and convincingly.
But Wang Yunxiao was thinking more deeply.
Looking directly into Principal Zhou's eyes, he said honestly, "Principal, you are right, but as the old saying goes, there's only 'thieves for days,' no 'guarding against thieves for days.' Lv'er came to me with ill intentions; rejecting him was merely a matter of saying no. But what if he persists with his malevolent intent? Our school has around six hundred students and teachers. Today, Lv'er and Wang Yunxiao didn't make trouble, but what if tomorrow Zhang San and Li Yunlong collude? Can you assure me that all the students in the school have as high a moral sense as I do?"
Principal Zhou frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"
Wang Yunxiao lowered his voice and said, "What I mean is... Given all these strange incidents suddenly happening at school, where I have been involved firsthand, could you let me in on who is giving us trouble? What are these people after? If they confront me again, I would also know how to handle it."
Looking into Wang Yunxiao's sincere eyes, Principal Zhou hesitated for a long time before slowly nodding and said, "It's not impossible, but you have to promise me that the words we speak here today, you cannot reveal to anyone after you leave here."