Chapter 4 Causing Trouble at School
byChapter 4: Raising Hell at School
The next morning at breakfast, after last night’s shitshow, everyone just ate in awkward silence.
If it weren’t for Shi Ciye being the family patriarch, probably nobody would’ve stuck around for breakfast.
When Shi Ciye saw Shi Yu sit down, his face relaxed a bit. Then he looked at Jiang Ji: “I hear you wanna move out?”
Jiang Ji: “I rented a spot near the office. Easier for work.”
Shi Ciye waved it off: “No rush on that. The driver can drop you off and pick you up. Aunt Jiang hasn’t seen you in ages and misses you. Stick around a bit longer and keep her company.”
Jiang Ji knew that was just an excuse, but he went along with it: “Sure.”
Shi Ciye: “I’ll have someone set up a room for you on the second floor later. Move back into the main house.” Then he looked at Shi Yu: “Ignore this brat.”
Shi Yu laughed: “Dad, can’t I just be young and dumb? Don’t worry, I’ll treat President Jiang with total respect this time.
No need to set up a room on the second floor. Isn’t the room next to mine free? It’d be a waste to leave a big room like that empty. Have him stay next to me.”
Jiang Ji met Shi Yu’s smiling gaze, totally unfazed.
Shi Yan shot Shi Yu a surprised look but kept his mouth shut.
Shi Ciye snorted: “About time you smartened up.”
Shi Yu buttered him up: “Dad, I already apologized last night, didn’t I? You know, sometimes I can’t help my temper. Once I took my meds and came to, I went straight to you to own up. Don’t stay mad at me.”
They looked like the perfect father-and-son act, like last night’s fight never happened.
With Shi Ciye’s say-so, the family driver was already waiting out front early to send Jiang Ji to the company.
But Jiang Ji skipped the driver and drove himself. Just as he was buckling up, the car door swung open.
Shi Yu hopped in without asking: “You don’t mind giving me a ride, do you?”
Jiang Ji: “If I said I did, would the young master get out?”
Shi Yu: “Of course not!” After buckling himself in, he pulled a nearly finished wood carving out of his pocket and, ignoring Jiang Ji, focused on carving it.
Jiang Ji glanced over: “Don’t mess with knives in the car.”
Shi Yu said, “Yeah, got it,” but kept carving.
Jiang Ji didn’t push it and just started the car.
The whole ride, one carved, the other drove, both ignoring each other.
When they pulled up to Shi Yu’s school gate, Jiang Ji finally said, “Young master, we’re here.”
Shi Yu didn’t look up, still carving away.
Jiang Ji rolled down the window and pulled out a cigarette.
The second he lit it, a flash of silver zipped past his eyes.
Shi Yu’s knife flicked the glowing tip off the cigarette.
When Jiang Ji looked over, Shi Yu pulled his hand back: “I don’t like people smoking in front of me.”
Jiang Ji stared at the sawdust all over the floor, cigarette in his mouth: “...”
After a bit, Shi Yu put the knife away: “Done.”
He placed the finished small wood carving on the dashboard: “For you.” Then he opened the door and got out.
Jiang Ji looked at the small wood carving—a masked clown.
Before closing the door, Shi Yu suddenly said: “Actually, I’ve been waiting for you to ask me how I convinced Dad to keep you in the Shi family. But you didn’t ask, which makes me a little sad.”
Jiang Ji: “I’ll do whatever Mr. Shi tells me to do.”
Shi Yu: “What a loyal dog. I told Dad that since you’ve just returned from abroad, we don’t fully know your background yet. You’re about to become the head of Xinke, and just in case—what if you pull some tricks, do something underhanded at Xinke?
Better to keep you in the Shi family, under his watchful eye. You wouldn’t dare to act recklessly. Once we’re sure you’re safe, we’ll let you go.”
After saying this, Shi Yu tried to see any trace of humiliation or resentment at being distrusted on Jiang Ji’s face. But sadly, Jiang Ji only said: “Young master, you forgot your cane.”
Shi Yu took his cane, his face dark as he watched Jiang Ji drive away. Just as he was about to leave, he heard someone shouting behind him.
“...Really, I’ve taken it for days, and that mute never noticed. That mute is both lame and old, even if he did notice, he couldn’t catch me.”
Someone beside him chimed in: “Brother Zhang, that’s a brilliant freeload.”
Shi Yu turned around, a chilling smile on his face: “Are you guys talking about that Ping’an Bun Shop behind the school gate...”
The men in basketball jerseys behind him, upon hearing Shi Yu’s words, exchanged uneasy glances.
——
Shi Yu was in the middle of morning class when he got a call.
He didn’t want to answer at first, but then he saw a friend outside the door gesturing frantically at him.
Realizing something, he made an excuse and ran out of the classroom. As soon as he reached the door, his friend grabbed his hand and started running, saying: “Shi Yu, you need to go see! Your brother is about to beat someone to death.”
Shi Yu’s heart jolted, and he quickened his pace.
In the sports equipment warehouse, a young man in a basketball jersey was kneeling on the ground, slapping himself repeatedly.
“I was wrong. I won’t do it again.”
Shi Yu sat on a chair, carving his thing without looking up.
A lackey beside him held up a camera and shouted: “You make it look like we’re bullying you for no reason. Tell everyone what you did wrong.”
The bruised and swollen young man said tearfully: “I’m not human. I’ve been stealing money from the bun shop owner every day.”
The lackey immediately said: “You were stealing from a disabled person’s hard-earned money. He’s disabled, and you have no conscience.”
Then, the lackeys Shi Yu had brought shouted: “We didn’t lay a hand on him. We just said a few words, and he was so regretful he knelt down and slapped himself. We have the whole thing on video as proof.”
The door to the sports equipment warehouse was banged loudly, and people outside were calling for it to be opened.
When Shi Yu arrived, he saw the advisor, the department head, and the school security guards trying to break down the door.
When the advisor saw Shi Yu, he said with a pained expression: “Classmate Shi Yu, please talk your brother into opening the door.”
Shi Yu frowned: “What exactly is going on here?”
Two guys in basketball jerseys standing nearby said with shifty eyes, "We don't know either! Today while we were walking on the road, that guy came over and struck up a conversation.
We didn't think much of it afterward, but as soon as we got back to the dorm, a few people barged in, dragged Old Zhang out of bed, and brought him here."
The dean pointed toward the door and yelled, "Call the police! Call the police right now!!!"
Not only that, even the two guys in basketball jerseys shouted together, "No, don't call the police!!"
"Dean, let me try," Shi Yu called out from outside. "Xiao Yu, are you having another episode? I'll go back and get your medicine."
The onlookers outside immediately began whispering, "Is he crazy? That guy who was dragged off must have the worst luck."
Hearing this discussion, Shi Yu abruptly stopped talking.
When Xiao Yu heard Shi Yu's voice from outside, he raised his eyes and glanced at the kneeling person. "Speak up!" he said.
The guy on the ground roared, "I was wrong!"
Over here, Jiang Ji had just arrived at the company when he received a tearful phone call from Shi Yu: "Brother Jiangji, Xiao Yu might be having an episode..." Before he could finish talking, the phone was taken away from him.
"Shi Yu, what exactly is going on?"
Hearing Shi Ciye's voice on the other end, Shi Yu paused, not expecting Shi Ciye to be there. But then he thought about it—today was the day Jiang Ji would be announced as the head of Xinke, so it wasn't strange that Shi Ciye was present.
He hesitated for a moment, but still stammered out the whole story.
At the same time, over at Xiao Yu's, one of his guys answered a phone call and said worriedly, "Brother Yu, the dean has also arrived and is insisting on calling the police."
Xiao Yu put away his carving knife. "Then open the door."
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