Chapter 101: Liu Dashan's Little Trick

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A waiter glanced at Jiangxi Wen and said, "Brother, we're closing up..."
Jiangxi Wen felt a bit frustrated but responded with an "Oh, I see. I'm here to find someone."
"Brother Li, this is my friend." At that moment, Luo Xiaoyin just came out of the rehearsal room. He wasn't sure what Jiangxi Wen was busy with but noticed he hadn’t left yet.
"Hmm!" The waiter nodded at Luo Xiaoyin and continued tidying up, saying no more.
Before Luo Xiaoyin could speak again, Jiangxi Wen stepped forward and asked, "Xiaoyin, have you seen my friend?"
"You mean Su Lai? After our performance, Yang Wei introduced her to everyone. We chatted briefly, then she left." Luo Xiaoyin replied earnestly and added, "You left so suddenly, then hurried back. Did something happen?"
"Hmm, nothing..." Jiangxi Wen quickly adjusted his mood. There were plenty of matters awaiting him, so no need to worry. Su Lai...
Jiangxi Wen’s expression shifted from gloomy to daydream-like. Luo Xiaoyin looked puzzled and said bluntly, "Xiwen, I heard everything about you from Yang Wei. Such a talented kid, but why so strange?"
"If I weren’t strange, how could I collaborate with you?" Jiangxi Wen chuckled, patted Luo Xiaoyin’s shoulder, and strode onto the stage, grabbing a guitar that hadn’t been put away, striking a rock-and-roll pose.
A few seconds later, Luo Xiaoyin caught on and laughed heartily. "You, Xiwen! If I said the same about myself, we’d both be weird. Stop shaking around—play something for us."
To Luo Xiaoyin, if Jiangxi Wen could compose music, he surely could play an instrument. Jiangxi Wen hesitated; he did know how to play, but only one song—the one he learned specially for Su Lai: "Wind and Rain No Matter What" by Zhou Huajian. He always wanted to be as steadfast as the song described, relentless for Su Lai. But then he heard that the guitar association president at their department once serenaded Su Lai under the girls’ dorm, playing "Waves One After Another." It ended in failure—whether because of the song or his awkward appearance, no one knew. That made the shy Jiangxi Wen even more hesitant to show off. Still, he practiced occasionally to keep familiar.
However, that song was meant for Su Lai and inappropriate for Luo Xiaoyin. Suddenly, inspiration struck him—he recalled a morning exercise song. Though he only learned one song, he naturally knew basic strumming. Slinging the guitar on his shoulder, he strummed a few times with a boom-boom rhythm and started singing:
"A salesman comes to Xinhua every day, always assigned an excellent teammate..."
After strumming, he moved his right hand across his chest twice, raised it twice, and sang on: "Add one today, add one tomorrow, and the day after, many excellent teammates will join."
"Ha ha ha..." Before Jiangxi Wen could continue, Luo Xiaoyin laughed so hard she almost fell over. She had no idea what kind of person Jiangxi Wen was, to sing something so hilarious.
Even the waiters stopped their work, laughing nearly as hard as Luo Xiaoyin. She wondered where Jiangxi Wen found such a friend; admittedly, the rhythm was catchy.
Luo Xiaoyin’s reaction was exactly what Jiangxi Wen expected. That morning exercise song about adding teammates was still laughed about many years later by Ming and others. No need to mention how it was received back in ’93.
After moving around a bit, Jiangxi Wen felt refreshed. He didn’t even realize his fractured hand had fully healed—he hadn’t felt pain when picking up the guitar earlier. That old man Su was really something. Jiangxi Wen felt great. Even creating that morning exercise was a stroke of genius.
When he sang about six salespeople, a soft chuckle came from the bar’s entrance, followed by uncontrollable laughter.
Squinting, Jiangxi Wen saw it was Su Lai. He immediately regretted it—his image was completely ruined. He wondered if that guy who sang "Waves One After Another" was even more embarrassing.
Seeing Su Lai laugh so heartily, Jiangxi Wen laughed too. "Hey, Su Lai, Xiaoyin, how was it? Not bad, right?"
This proved once again that when a third party was around, Jiangxi Wen could regain his sharp mind in front of Su Lai and speak more freely.
"Alright, Xiwen, you’re the strongest person I’ve ever met—can do anything. That rap was incredible!" Luo Xiaoyin tried to catch her breath after laughing.
Su Lai struggled to suppress her laughter, stepped forward, her eyes crescent-shaped as she looked at Jiangxi Wen. "You’re hilarious. I thought Hu Pao and the others were funny, no wonder they call you big brother..."
"Not bad, really good!" Luo Xiaoyin slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "Xiwen, you’re a genius. That gave me inspiration. Su Lai, you two go chat; I’ll talk to the band guys."
No sooner had she spoken than she dashed into the band’s rehearsal room. Su Lai was stunned—these people were all eccentric in their own way.
"Artists, artists..." Jiangxi Wen watched Luo Xiaoyin’s retreating figure, shaking his head with a sigh.
Before he finished sighing, Su Lai opened her eyes wide and said angrily, "Jiangxi Wen, you invited me to listen to music but then disappeared."
Jiangxi Wen broke out in a sweat, wondering if Su Lai was the possessive type. Turning around, he smiled, "Sorry, Su Lai, something came up. How about I sing for you instead..."
"Like just now?" Su Lai frowned. "I don’t want to laugh so hard that I choke..."
Hmph, every time she saw him looking goofy and blank, she ended up blushing herself. Now it was his turn to apologize and see how he’d make it up to her. That was her true thought, though her face remained serious.
She had actually gone home early but probably left her key at the bar. Her mother was at home playing mahjong with relatives as usual, and her father was sleeping at the barracks, so she sneaked back to find her key. The moment she entered, she heard Jiangxi Wen making a fool of himself.
Actually, seeing Jiangxi Wen return made all her earlier discomfort disappear. Plus, he was so funny. She liked watching this seemingly all-capable guy get all embarrassed.
Should she ask him to play and sing "Wind and Rain No Matter What"? Jiangxi Wen’s mind flashed to that guy singing "Waves One After Another" who was chased away by Su Lai.
Seeing Jiangxi Wen’s pitiful expression, Su Lai felt entertained but wondered if he was acting. He could compose, so playing guitar shouldn’t be hard. Maybe he was pretending—always scheming something.
"If you want to sing, you have to add your own style to show your sincerity in apologizing," Su Lai raised the challenge and looked at Jiangxi Wen triumphantly.
Damn it, he’d go all out. Jiangxi Wen thought, just right—after he started work, there was a new remix of "Wind and Rain No Matter What" online, with varied tempo making it more appealing. He had been pondering it in his spare time.
Alright, time to sing. Jiangxi Wen strummed lightly. Su Lai was about to laugh, and the waiters wore the same expression, curious how he’d continue the six salespeople song—but then, a soft, flowing chord like a clear mountain spring played, swirling gently into everyone’s hearts.
I give you my all,
You are my only bet in this life,
Leaving just a stretch of time,
So I have no regrets,
Wholeheartedly giving,
Afraid you’ll be sad, afraid you’ll cry,
Afraid you’ll be lonely, afraid you’ll be isolated,
Through a thousand miles of mortal world,
I can be with you day and night...

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The first few lines were a bit tense, but starting from "Afraid you’ll be sad," Jiangxi Wen poured all his feelings for Su Lai into the song. He had sung it countless times, but this was the first time facing Su Lai.
Because of this emotional immersion, though his voice wasn’t perfect, it was deeply moving. Compared to his earlier hilarious morning exercise song, everyone was captivated.
"No, no, the chords are too stiff. Not qualified yet... Also..." A long-haired man emerged from the rehearsal room. He looked like a musician but hadn’t been seen during Luo Xiaoyin’s band’s performance of Sword 2.
Jiangxi Wen stopped playing, angry. He was singing for Su Lai and got interrupted by such a jerk. "Chords? What’s that to you?"
The remark stunned everyone. The waiters clearly recognized the long-haired man and showed worried looks for Jiangxi Wen.
Su Lai, absorbed in Jiangxi Wen’s voice, was now angry at the interruption. "Whether Xiwen’s playing is professional or not, interrupting him is disrespectful!"
The long-haired man glanced at Su Lai and smirked, "Oh, standing up for your little lover now?" Then he turned to Jiangxi Wen. "Kid, if you’re brave, I’m the guitarist for the Black Wolf band here in Modu. You know Black Wolf? Come at me here." He looked quite annoyed.
Luo Xiaoyin and the other bandmates came out quickly, Luo Xiaoyin’s voice tinged with anger: "Long Mao, Xiwen is my friend. If you want to challenge Black Wolf, go ahead, but don’t mess with my friend."
So this fellow was the reason Luo Xiaoyin’s band stayed late at the bar—he came to issue a challenge.
Interrupting me is one thing, but insulting Su Lai is another. Today you won’t get off lightly. Jiangxi Wen laughed heartily, then snapped, "Black Wolf my ass. You’re just a black bug! You talk to me about music? Do you know what music really is? Music is art, the creation of the soul. Only music infused with emotion is heavenly sound. Every song is born from a moment of insight, not from endlessly fiddling with the instrument. Those people are at best tutors, not creators!"
"Well said, Xiwen!" Luo Xiaoyin led the applause, and the other band members joined in. Jiangxi Wen’s words resonated deeply with them.
They understood music. Each of their guitarists could play better than Jiangxi Wen, but they heard music infused with heartfelt emotion—this matched their philosophy. Luo Xiaoyin always believed that once music had feeling, technique was less important; creation always came first.
Jiangxi Wen said nothing more, picked up his guitar again, strummed, and said to Su Lai, "This song, dedicated to you." Then he resumed playing and singing.
Listening to the melodious music, Su Lai felt Jiangxi Wen’s burning gaze. That look seemed to hold deep emotion, the kind only years of accumulation could bring. The little Su Lai couldn’t understand it but felt her cheeks flush; she wanted to leave but couldn’t help listening quietly, feeling every bit of Jiangxi Wen’s emotions.
When the song ended, Jiangxi Wen fixed his gaze on a spot, avoiding looking at Su Lai. He feared losing control. The song reminded him of so many past memories—always worrying about Su Lai. All his feelings flooded his body, so he focused on one point to calm down.
Was this truly for me? Or was he thinking of Zhang Ya? Seeing Jiangxi Wen quietly look away, Su Lai’s mind flashed this thought, feeling a pang of melancholy. But seeing Jiangxi Wen’s expression was somewhat handsome, she quickly pushed the melancholy aside.
Long Mao had left sometime ago; no one cared about him anymore.
Clap, clap, clap... Luo Xiaoyin led the applause again. "Xiwen, you really have a talent for music. You say you do programming? I almost don’t believe it. Interested in joining our band?"
Programming? Su Lai perked up, curious. Jiangxi Wen really could do everything. She wondered how he compared to Zheng Ge.
"Yeah, Xiwen, if you’re willing, join our band..." The others eagerly invited him. They were very sincere. Jiangxi Wen’s Sword 2 song had earned their deep respect.
Jiangxi Wen’s scattered thoughts instantly gathered. He chuckled, "I can only do this one. Believe it?"
"No way..." they said in unison, "That’s naked showing off..."
Right, I can do this too. Saying that, he began singing again, "Six salespeople, coming to Xinhua..."
Once he started, everyone fled back to the rehearsal room, still unwilling to believe Jiangxi Wen only knew that one song.
"Xiaoyin, I’ll head to Yangjiang tomorrow morning. I’ll send the money to Yang Wei; he can pass it to you," Jiangxi Wen shouted toward the rehearsal room.
The morning exercise song was funny once, but twice was nauseating. Luo Xiaoyin probably ruined her ears and didn’t come out, replying from inside, "Xiwen, thanks. Next time, don’t sing that salespeople song; I can’t take it."
Su Lai listened nearby, laughing uncontrollably. When Jiangxi Wen asked why she came back, she calmed down and said, "I lost my key and came back to find it."
"Little sister, is this it?" A waiter popped his head from the counter, placed the key on it, then quickly covered his ears to avoid being contaminated by the salespeople song.
Seeing his expression, Su Lai couldn’t help laughing. Sure enough, the key was hers. She pursed her lips to suppress the laughter, walked over, thanked him, and pocketed the key.
"Looks like I’d better leave quickly before everyone gets scared of me," Jiangxi Wen said with a grimace, then looked at Su Lai. "Classmate, it’s late. Let me walk you home."
Su Lai nodded. She had been a bit worried taking a taxi alone earlier. The two waited outside the bar for a long time without a car passing. Jiangxi Wen suggested walking home.
Su Lai softly agreed; their homes weren’t far apart anyway.
They walked in silence; Jiangxi Wen’s mind short-circuited again, and this time Su Lai did too. He called it a short circuit because only then could sparks fly.
But the spark hadn’t ignited yet. As they neared Su Lai’s home, Jiangxi Wen decided to light his spark first and lure hers in.
"Su Lai, um, was my apology sincere enough just now?"
Su Lai closed her eyes. Damn, why couldn’t she find her voice? How frustrating.
Seems this spark was even shyer than me. Why did it reverse from the past life? Jiangxi Wen couldn’t figure it out. He instinctively said, "Su Lai, I’m going to the train station soon, heading back to Yangjiang."
"Okay, be safe," Su Lai replied. They had stopped at the gate to Su Lai’s residential complex.
Jiangxi Wen hesitated, then smiled, "So, um, a hug?"
He disliked the oppressive atmosphere. His short-circuited brain connected in an instant.
Su Lai was cheerful by nature and was infected by Jiangxi Wen’s goofy smile. She smiled gently, "No hug. You’d probably try to take advantage of me."
"Really, Su Lai, I wouldn’t. Though we’ve only known each other two days, it feels like we’ve been through years. People say life-and-death bonds are like this." Jiangxi Wen looked serious.
"Uh..." Su Lai was stunned, then nodded earnestly. "Okay, but only once."
Jiangxi Wen opened his arms, hugged her tightly, smiling. His serious act was fake, but he didn’t want to take advantage—just wanted to feel it. When he truly held Su Lai, all emotions burst forth.
"Jiangxi Wen, Jiangxi Wen..." Su Lai naturally felt him holding tighter. This was different from the strange feeling in the misty lake the day before—his embrace grew warmer, as if melting her.
This melting feeling was pleasant but also frightening, though she didn’t know why. She felt she had to push Jiangxi Wen away, but the more she struggled, the tighter he held.
Jiangxi Wen heard Su Lai calling his name, his heart jolted, realizing his mistake. He loosened his arms and whispered in her ear, laughing, "I really was trying to take advantage."
As soon as he said it, he let go, grinning and standing aside, watching Su Lai’s flushed face.

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"You!" Su Lai, who had been struggling hard, actually felt a trace of reluctance when freed from Jiangxi Wen’s embrace. Looking at Jiangxi Wen’s slim figure, she didn’t know why he had felt so solid just now. Unlike her father’s mountain-like embrace, this solidity gave her a sense of safe reliance.
What’s wrong with me? Jiangxi Wen still wore a broad smile, doing his best to ease the awkwardness. He had barely reconnected his brain and didn’t want another short circuit.
"You’re really despicable. You promised not to mess around, Jiangxi bug; I’m going to stomp you flat!" Su Lai didn’t really mean it, but her lips said it anyway.
"What messed up thing did I do? I just said it, didn’t actually try. If you want to stomp me, fine, but put on a skirt first."
"Huh?" Su Lai didn’t understand why she had to change, but soon figured it out. "You pervert!"
"Hehe, no more playing, I have to go now. See you." Before Su Lai could reply, Jiangxi Wen turned and left.
He felt as if sand was in his eyes. He had randomly said a few things to hide his tears. Tonight’s song and that hug had made him lose control for the first time since his rebirth.
But such loss of control was too sudden—Su Lai had clearly pushed him hard just now. They had only known each other two days, but his feelings felt like years old. No wonder she was scared.
He feared that if he stayed longer, he’d become too nervous to speak whenever he saw Su Lai, just like before—too shy to express anything.
Until today, he believed his rebirth gave him a chance to win Su Lai’s heart, to make her like him. But now he had to admit that once his feelings showed, he couldn’t control them and couldn’t treat Su Lai like other girls. So he joked a bit and quickly left, at least to ensure he wouldn’t be too nervous to speak.
Su Lai stared blankly at Jiangxi Wen’s back, not knowing what he was thinking. She shook her head hard, feeling that if she thought any further, she’d go astray. She was still young, shouldn’t think about messy things or betray Zhang Ya.
A few hours later, Jiangxi Wen returned to Yangjiang. To avoid waking his parents, he quietly opened the door. The light in the bedroom was on; his parents heard the door and came out.
"Xiwen, did the police beat you up in Modu?" His father, Jiang Hong, asked first, eyes full of concern.
Wang Yanan was even more worried, "Let Mom see if you’re hurt."
"No, no," Jiangxi Wen shook his head repeatedly, swinging his arm. "Not only no injuries, but old wounds healed."
"What happened? Vice Mayor Zhang Yong came last night to thank you, said you suffered a lot looking for Zhang Ya, told us not to worry, that you’re in the best hospital in Modu and are fine. We were even thinking of going to Modu after dawn to see you."
Jiangxi Wen felt deeply touched. Parental love was the greatest in the world. He glanced over and noticed many health supplements on the living room table. He hurriedly asked, "Dad, did many people come to give gifts?"
Jiang Hong shook his head and smiled, "Yes, but we didn’t accept any. They came for Vice Mayor Zhang Yong and his father Zhang Song. These on the table are from Zhang Yong; he sincerely thanked you, so I accepted on his behalf."
"Xiwen." Wang Yanan smiled too, relieved to see Jiangxi Wen healthy. "You really became famous in Modu. Visitors came all day yesterday. Your father and I were puzzled until Zhang Yong himself came to thank you. You never told us anything over the phone. Next time, tell us if anything happens."
"Okay, okay!" Jiangxi Wen nodded repeatedly. "It’s almost dawn. Dad, Mom, you rest. I’ll have a good sleep; these days were exhausting."
Only Zhang Ya, Su Lai, and a few knew about Jiangxi Wen rescuing someone and nearly drowning himself. He chose to keep it from his parents.
"Xiwen, by the way, Ning Yu—Ning Yan’s father—called. You should call him back tomorrow. Seems Liu Dashan’s case needs you to testify..." Jiang Hong was interrupted by Wang Yanan, "Enough, let our son rest first. It’s the middle of the night."
Jiangxi Wen chuckled and went to his room. He slept straight through until noon. Upon waking, he saw a note from his parents saying they visited old friends for New Year and left meals in the pot, just heat and eat.
Having not eaten a proper meal for days, Jiangxi Wen forgot Wang Wu’s advice to chew slowly and ate heartily. Feeling content, he remembered he had to call Ning Yu and dialed the detective bureau. Ning Yu answered; he had been on duty these days.
Ning Yu said as soon as he heard Jiangxi Wen’s voice, "Xiwen, I heard you fought the Modu police—impressive, kid, not afraid of authority..."
Jiangxi Wen greeted him and sighed, "How did this get around everywhere? Won’t reporters come knocking soon?"
Ning Yu laughed, "Don’t worry. Only officials and police insiders know. There’s a notice forbidding leaks. Even if some know, no media dares to interview you."
He planned to thank old Master Zhang properly. Last time, he hadn’t had a good talk and felt a bit guilty. Now that the matter was settled, Jiangxi Wen intended to visit in a few days.
"Old Ning, you didn’t call just to talk about that, did you? How’s Liu Dashan? Do I need to testify?" Jiangxi Wen asked directly. He hated beating around the bush; the more he dragged, the more annoyed Ning Yu would be.
"Hehe, you’re sharp. Liu Dashan’s trial starts tomorrow, the sixth day of the lunar new year. His inside man is a police lawyer. We didn’t expect that. We thought his foundation was deeper. Using your method, it was a sure catch. But he seems to have some tricks left, maybe involving Jiang Qi. We don’t know his purpose yet."
"Mm." Jiangxi Wen left the Jiang Qi matter to the police, lost interest, and asked, "I’ve always found this odd and never asked before. You said Liu Dashan’s kidnapping was to open a private school. I still think it’s ridiculous. No matter how arrogant he is, kidnapping over that’s hard to believe."
Ning Yu hesitated, then said, "Xiwen, I didn’t want to tell you before because some details lacked evidence. Now everything’s clear, so I can tell you. You’re skilled and thoughtful; it’d be a waste not to be a cop someday."
Band member, detective, what next? Jiangxi Wen imagined himself with long hair, wildly rocking on stage. The scene shifted to him holding a gun, hiding behind a cabinet—looking more like a killer than a detective.
His brain was running wild—right now, it was like his mind was full of crawling snails.
Old Ning’s words cut through the snails and brought Jiangxi Wen back. "Liu Dashan’s private school is planned for the foot of Ziyuan Mountain near Yangjiang’s suburbs. It was originally the new site for Ziyuan Middle School. Though not a key school, it’s public. Liu Dashan will have to work hard to grab that land."
"I get it. The private school is a cover. That land was meant for a school. If used for anything else, approval would be hard. So he applied under the pretense of opening a school, then he can do whatever he wants. If it’s real estate or building villas, then..."
Jiangxi Wen suddenly recalled that seven or eight years later in his past life, the foot of Ziyuan Mountain became a villa district, owned by Liu Dashan.
He didn’t regret cutting off Liu Dashan’s funding. Knowing Liu Dashan was the mastermind behind the kidnapping, Jiangxi Wen felt the villas were stained with the blood of his missing good friend Gong Xiang. He was proud of what he had done.
"Xiwen, you’re too smart. Really, you should apply to the police academy..."
"Old Ning, why are you sounding so naggy? You’re not yourself." Jiangxi Wen was helpless. "By the way, I want to ask—when I saved that person in Modu, I drowned. Doctors thought I was dead. How did I come back to life?"
"What? That’s true?"
"Of course."
"Haha!" Ning Yu laughed. "Congrats, kid, your skills have improved. Remember the breathing techniques Wang Wu taught you? That was actually from a martial arts family friend in the mountains who joined our special forces. They practiced 'Tu Na' breathing. Wang Wu and I trained for three years before we could hold breath underwater, simulating death. You learned it so fast. But don’t try this casually; it’s only for extreme emergencies. If you die trying, no one can save you."
This world was truly amazing. Rebirth was real. This breathing method was even more plausible. Jiangxi Wen began to wonder if he had been reborn into a parallel universe. After hanging up, he stared at the air, eyes sore, and gave up pondering such advanced spatial problems.