Chapter Sixty-One: Aftermath

Chapter Sixty-One: Aftermath

Jiang Ningzhi, who was crouched outside the door, caught every word Song Nianqiang said. The girls with her heard it all too. “Ningzhi, I really envy you! I’m even a little jealous!” one of the girls said to Jiang Ningzhi with a pout.

That girl was in no way inferior to Jiang Ningzhi—her figure was even better, her grades were among the top ten in the entire year, and, most importantly, she came from a good family, the daughter of a prominent entrepreneur in the city. She had a long line of admirers, but none of them measured up to Song Nianqiang—at least, that was how she saw it.

“Cao Jianjia, don’t say that. There’s nothing particularly good about me,” Jiang Ningzhi replied with a smile, then pressed her ear to the door again. Cao Jianjia sighed and, after watching Jiang Ningzhi for a while, joined her in eavesdropping.

“What kind of damned thing is this! For a woman, you actually— You—” The gang leader was at a loss for words. In his eyes, women were mere playthings for men. But Song Nianqiang did not see it that way. To him, Jiang Ningzhi was someone who must not be defiled. Anyone who dared offend her would face only one outcome.

“Heh. In my eyes, she’s perfect. I won’t allow anyone to taint her in the slightest. Even if it were the king of heaven himself, I’d drag him down and stomp him to death!” Song Nianqiang’s voice rang out loudly, so that everyone outside the door heard it clearly. Jiang Ningzhi’s eyes filled with tears—tears of being moved.

“I’ve been protecting her since junior high. Four years now. Why don’t I like studying? First, because I really hate it. Second, it’s because of her. A good kid could never protect Ningzhi, so I became a bad student, a total delinquent in the teachers’ eyes! But I have no regrets. Just seeing Jiang Ningzhi quietly studying in the classroom makes me happy! Sometimes I really think I must be sick in the head!”

He paused, calming his agitation, then continued, “Of course, I have my selfish moments. Back in junior high, anyone who sent Jiang Ningzhi a love letter got beaten up by me. I couldn’t stand the thought of her being held by someone else. Maybe that’s twisted, but after starting high school, I gradually let it go. I have my own ambitions now, no time to protect her anymore. Maybe it’d be a good thing if she found a guy who truly cared for her.”

At this, Song Nianqiang fell silent, a sense of loss in his voice. Outside, Jiang Ningzhi was sobbing uncontrollably. She had always known Song Nianqiang liked her, but she never imagined he’d done so much for her. That hidden affection in her heart took root and grew rapidly—so it turned out Song Nianqiang was so outstanding, so dazzling.

Of the girls outside, only Cao Jianjia wasn’t crying. “Why can’t I have a guy like that? Just wait, Song Nianqiang—sooner or later, you’ll be mine!” She silently vowed, then pressed her ear to the door once more.

“Well, do you have anything else to say?” Song Nianqiang sighed, striding toward the gang leader. But the gang leader didn’t believe a word he’d said. In his eyes, Song Nianqiang was a fool beyond compare—a man who’d do so much for a woman and still dared call himself a man.

Suddenly, the gang leader gritted his teeth and lunged at Song Nianqiang with a watermelon knife. This time, Song Nianqiang showed no mercy. He grabbed the man’s wrist, twisted hard until a “crack” sounded, caught the knife with his other hand, and with a flash, sliced clean through the man’s wrist.

Blood sprayed everywhere, but it wasn’t over. Song Nianqiang reversed his grip and slashed the gang leader in the groin. For the rest of his life, the gang leader could forget about ever touching a woman again. Though he was a thug, in this small county town, only those in the black market who had seen real bloodshed were true hoodlums; the rest were mere amateurs. Now, seeing that his “equipment” had been severed, the gang leader fainted on the spot.

Song Nianqiang fished a phone from the gang leader’s pocket and called the county hospital. Then he went to the door and asked Jiang Ningzhi to unlock it from outside. Still, Song Nianqiang was puzzled. “Why are you crying? Did I scare you that badly?” He was still angry when he asked, but by now, his anger had faded and he’d forgotten all about it.

Jiang Ningzhi suddenly threw herself into Song Nianqiang’s arms, clutching him tightly and bursting into loud sobs. The gesture startled him. He stood stiffly, hands raised, unsure what to do. “Jiang Ningzhi, I just saved you once, that’s all! Aren’t you overreacting a little?” he said, poking her shoulder with a finger.

But Jiang Ningzhi clung to him, refusing to let go. Song Nianqiang looked helplessly at the other girls, but they only smiled and watched, saying nothing.

Cao Jianjia quietly slipped away as soon as Song Nianqiang came out. She already knew how things would play out, but she wasn’t about to give up. A plan to steal away his heart had already begun to form in her mind.

About ten minutes later, the ambulance arrived. The paramedics were stunned when they entered the classroom—desks overturned everywhere, books scattered all over the floor, and a man lying in a pool of blood who would surely die without immediate treatment. They sprang into action.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ningzhi was gripping Song Nianqiang’s hand tightly and wouldn’t let go. Song Nianqiang was secretly delighted, but this was hardly the time to stand around like a fool. He tried several times to pull his hand free, but Jiang Ningzhi only gave him a glare and held on even tighter. In the end, he had to give up.

An incident like this in the school quickly brought the police. The department had been swamped with the “913” case lately, and now the county’s best school had a scandal on its hands. The county magistrate had already received word; if this ruined the school’s reputation, it would be the end of the police chief’s career.

But when the chief saw Song Nianqiang, he relaxed. Song Nianqiang still had blood on him, and knowing his temperament, it certainly wasn’t from trying to break up the fight. Given Song Nianqiang’s connections to the colonel and the school, he was sure this matter could be hushed up, but the proper procedures still had to be followed. So, with great politeness, he invited the girls at the scene back to the station.

Since Song Nianqiang was involved, the colonel and the county magistrate both showed up in person at the police station. Song Nianqiang and the girls were in the chief’s office. The facts were quickly made clear—top students have a knack for logical explanation. In just a few words, the whole story was laid out: they were all victims, and Song Nianqiang was never in question. When Liu Zhaohao returned, the chief already knew—the family had military connections, and that meant any problem could be solved with a single word.

“Colonel, Magistrate.”

The colonel entered first, with the magistrate right behind. He glanced at Song Nianqiang and, seeing that he was unharmed, finally let out a sigh of relief. He pointed at the police chief and scolded, “Do you still want your job? If not, get lost!” In this matter, the colonel’s word carried more weight than the magistrate’s.

“Yes, sir! I’ll have people increase patrols at night, make sure this never happens again, and I’ll order a crackdown. This won’t happen again!” the police chief stammered, thoroughly frightened. Knowing the colonel’s temper, he could easily be replaced, so he dared not argue.

“Good thing Song Nianqiang is all right, otherwise—hmph!” The colonel didn’t finish, but walked over and clapped Song Nianqiang on the shoulder. “If you need anything, come find me at the army base! I’d like to see what those thugs are capable of—if they push me, I’ll bring the men and wipe them out!”

“Uncle, it’s all right. I know what I’m doing,” Song Nianqiang replied with a smile. The colonel grunted in approval and said, “I have to go. If anything comes up, call me.” With that, he left. Only then did the magistrate speak.

“What can I say? Old Qi, you’ve held this position long enough. If something like this happens again, I won’t be able to help you. Take care of yourself!” He turned to Song Nianqiang and smiled. “Is it all right if I call you ‘Xiao Qiang’?”

“Of course!” Song Nianqiang replied with a smile.