Chapter 055: We Have All Been Ordinary

Looking at Lian Jin’s hesitant, conflicted expression, Lin Yu suddenly recalled a saying: If one day I shine brilliantly, please remember the ordinary person I once was.

At this moment, Lian Jin looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with dark skin and a robust build. His square face was unremarkable—among ordinary students, it might seem intimidating, but in the eyes of those with true status or power, he was simply a nobody, lacking both depth and any semblance of authority.

As the saying goes, "A child’s character is evident by three." If Lin Yu did not trust his own memory, which contained the image of a future-famous Lian Jin, he would never have believed such a plain street tough possessed the inner potential to transform from a humble chicken into a soaring phoenix.

Because of Lian Jin, Lin Yu never made the mistake of judging people by appearances in his dealings afterwards.

"I believe Lian Jin’s success in his past life was closely tied to the hardships he endured. Wolves surpass dogs because they are born wild. Lian Jin’s plainness now may simply be because he lacks that ferocity," Lin Yu mused to himself. Then, with a cold edge in his voice, he said, "If you don’t carry her away within ten seconds, I’ll ravish her right here before everyone."

"You wouldn’t dare!" Lian Jin, though well aware Lin Yu was trying to provoke him, could not suppress his anger at the mention of his beloved Ye Ruoshui.

Yet knowing Lin Yu’s ruthlessness, he wasted no time, rushing to Ye Ruoshui’s side, lifting her into his arms and carrying her toward the bar’s backstage lounge that belonged to him.

Only then did what remained of clarity in Ye Ruoshui’s mind fade away entirely. She closed her eyes in peace.

If I must sleep, let me rest quietly in my lover’s embrace.

The scene unfolding before him reminded Lin Yu of a line from a famous novel.

Even so, he knew this was no time to let his guard down. The aftermath here would be difficult to handle. After three minutes of silence, Lin Yu lowered his arm, which was numb from being held aloft, and said to Hu Bin, "Hu Bin, come with me."

He then strode toward the corridor, his pace neither hurried nor slow, betraying nothing of his thoughts.

Though taken aback, Hu Bin followed Lin Yu’s summons, trailing a few steps behind. His long, once-dashing hair now hung in disarray, his head bleeding, his clothes soaked—far from the image of a stylish youth.

But as Lin Yu pushed open the corridor door, his previously calm expression froze.

There stood Hu Rongqiang, arms crossed, clearly having observed the events in the bar for some time.

He said nothing, and there was not the slightest trace of a smile on his face—gone was his usual affable facade. His muddy yet profound eyes gave no hint of his thoughts.

Seeing him like this, Lin Yu shrugged and handed over his pistol, saying helplessly, "Uncle Hu, this time your nephew has deceived you. Whether you choose to punish me or throw me in jail, I’ll accept whatever you decide."

"Father, this time Lin Yu really went too far," Hu Bin added, emboldened now that his father held the weapon.

But Hu Rongqiang simply stood there, silent, his expression fixed as he watched their reactions, trying to read what was in the hearts of these two young men.

Most detectives have sharp eyes, and Hu Rongqiang’s were as keen as an eagle’s. The pressure Lin Yu and Hu Bin felt was palpable.

Lin Yu, having lied and stolen the gun—then used it to assault the man’s own son—felt guilty. Hu Bin was even more conflicted, having snuck out after his parents slept, only to end up in this sorry state.

After being scrutinized for a while by those penetrating eyes, Lin Yu suddenly smiled and handed over a packet of cash. "Uncle Hu, I went too far this time. Please, use this money to settle things for me."

"Lin Yu, you have some nerve. You’re cut from the same cloth as your father," Hu Rongqiang snorted, clearly annoyed. Only his respect for Lin Yu’s father, Lin Tiancheng, kept him from acting more harshly.

Imagine—a deputy police chief’s gun is stolen and then involved in an incident. The chief himself might well end up as the "warden" in prison.

Unable to guess what Hu Rongqiang was thinking, Lin Yu replied calmly, "My brother suffered because of me. I had no choice. If I could do it over, I would make the same decision."

"And you, Hu Bin—if you were in Lin Yu’s place, would you have done the same?" Hu Rongqiang asked after Lin Yu finished.

"Me? I…I don’t know…" Hu Bin replied honestly. If faced with the same situation, he doubted he would have come to the rescue, but he couldn’t bring himself to admit it.

Seeing his son’s reaction, Hu Rongqiang sighed inwardly. This was no longer an era that worshipped heroes or loyalty, nor did it celebrate lone warriors charging to the rescue. But compared to Lin Yu, he felt his own son lacked resolve.

Without madness, there is no life.

He thought his son was good in every way, except for that one vital spark. Many people fail to rise above others simply because they lack that breath of spirit.

Faith determines destiny—it’s more than just a slogan. Hu Rongqiang began pondering how to instill a fierceness deep in his son’s subconscious.

After a while, he sighed and said to Lin Yu, "Lin Yu, right now I want to scold you and hit you. But I also want to praise you. You’ve got some fire in you, and I like that. This money will go toward your friend’s medical expenses. In your moment of crisis, you thought of Uncle Hu, and I appreciate that."

Then, Hu Rongqiang gently patted his son’s shoulder. "You two should spend more time together—you’re family friends, not enemies. Let’s leave it at that for tonight. I’ll go inside and warn those punks. That kid who left just now was nearly crippled—what happened tonight was enough to shock even an old cop like me. Hu Bin, if you keep running with that crowd, I’ll tell you plainly: one day you’ll end up as someone’s pawn, and it won’t end well for you."

"Understood," Hu Bin replied, bowing his head.

In truth, Hu Bin had never been comfortable with the cruel, harmful things Zhang Yang and his group did. But for the sake of pride and attention, he couldn’t help mingling with them.

As he lowered his head in thought and Lin Yu stood with furrowed brows, Hu Rongqiang, pistol in hand, strode into the bar’s main hall with the vigor of a general.

Left in the corridor, Lin Yu and Hu Bin could not hear what he said inside.

With no real enmity between them, the two exchanged a smile, letting bygones be bygones.

If one day I shine brilliantly, please remember the ordinary person I once was.

We all start at the same line. If someone one day achieves radiance, remember he came from among us. There’s no such thing as fair or unfair—only whether you’re good enough.

To all who compete: Don’t place too much importance on results. If your work isn’t good, what does it matter if you come first? So, young writers, keep working hard. The blue sky always lies above the white clouds—there’s truth in that.