Chapter 98

Worship... worship early in the year?

Hu Xiaoniu's father was momentarily at a loss, not even understanding how the conversation had turned to this topic.

The classmates were also a bit confused. The Liu Dezhu before them seemed somewhat out of place compared to the image of a master they had imagined.

Beside them, a student from Class 3, Grade 2 whispered to the study committee member Yu Junyi, "Hey, do you think he might have a system?"

"System?" Yu Junyi was puzzled, not understanding what this meant.

In Class 3, Grade 2, Yu Junyi had always been a studious type who didn't play games or read novels, so he had no idea what a system was.

The classmate patiently explained, "It's like the system in web novels. The system gives the host all sorts of random tasks, which can make the host stronger."

"Ah?" Yu Junyi was stunned.

At this moment, the classmate continued, "But in novels, it's usually the protagonist who gets such treatment. Could Liu Dezhu be the protagonist of our world? But if he doesn't have a system, how can you explain why he's so brilliant yet so foolish at the same time..."

It had to be said that this classmate's judgment was very accurate.

In a certain sense, Qingchen was Liu Dezhu's system...

It's just that completing the tasks didn't come with any rewards, purely a punishment for his greed.

Because Hu Xiaoniu and Zhang Tianzhen were still resting, the students paid a brief visit and then left.

After everyone left, Hu Xiaoniu's father turned and entered the ward.

Hu Xiaoniu opened his eyes slightly and asked in a weak voice, "Dad, what do you think of this Liu Dezhu?"

"It's hard to say for now," Hu Xiaoniu's father shook his head.

"Before, we didn't face any crisis, so we couldn't see this person clearly," Hu Xiaoniu said. "But after this time, I always feel something's off. If he's incompetent, he's already obtained the precious gene serum. If he's capable, he doesn't seem like a capable person at all. Dad, would someone like him really be valued by Uncle Li?"

Hu Xiaoniu's father said, "There are two possibilities, son. Do you know how many incompetent eunuchs there have been in history? The great eunuch Wang Zhen of the Ming Dynasty almost single-handedly ruined Emperor Yingzong and the three elite camps of the Ming Dynasty, yet this person had immense power. Why? Maybe because he was good at flattery, or maybe because his loyalty won the approval of the higher-ups."

"Even around wise leaders, not everyone is a capable general. All kinds of people can be found."

"Of course, there's another possibility," Hu Xiaoniu's father continued. "He's a puppet put forward by someone else, like someone holding shares on our behalf."

"Which one do you think is more likely, Dad?" Hu Xiaoniu asked.

However, Hu Xiaoniu's father shook his head, "It's too early to draw a conclusion. Regardless of which situation Liu Dezhu is in, this is your opportunity. Don't worry, the family will fully support you. Don't have any concerns. I know you envy your brother for starting to take over some family business, but you're still young. What he can do, you might not be able to. And in the future, your brother might need your help."

Hu Xiaoniu suddenly asked, "By the way, Dad, why did you tell me not to give him too many gold bars at once? He saved my life twice, so even giving him a hundred gold bars wouldn't be too much."

Hu Xiaoniu's father smiled, "Let's assume Liu Dezhu is a puppet put forward by someone else. In that case, he must be very short of money, otherwise, he wouldn't be so focused on gold bars. But if you give him a hundred gold bars at once, he won't need money anymore, and what else can you offer him then? At that point, what you can offer, he won't need anymore."

"But what if someone else offers him a higher price?" Hu Xiaoniu was puzzled.

"Then you need to become friends with him before someone else offers a higher price," Hu Xiaoniu's father said meaningfully.

"I understand," Hu Xiaoniu suddenly remembered something, "Where's Wang Yun?"

"Her legs were broken during the crime, so she was sent to the hospital for treatment. You were still unconscious at the time, and although Kunlun had suspicions, he didn't think much of it. This morning, her parents arrived in Luocheng, bribed the on-duty doctors and nurses at the hospital, and secretly took her away," Hu Xiaoniu's father replied. "This isn't Kunlun's fault. At the time, everyone suspected her, but no one expected her to play such a malicious role."

When Hu Xiaoniu woke up in the morning, he immediately told his father about Wang Yun, but by then, Wang Yun had already escaped with her parents' help.

"But Bai Wan'er should have guessed she was a mole, why didn't Bai Wan'er say anything?" Hu Xiaoniu frowned.

"Maybe she couldn't bear to see her good friend go to jail," Hu Xiaoniu's father said calmly. "Xiaoniu, remember, when the other side becomes your enemy, any act of forgiveness is not kindness, but cowardice."

"I remember," Hu Xiaoniu said.

Hu Xiaoniu's father said, "Now, Wang Yun has gone into hiding, and I haven't found her. More importantly, only one criminal named Dongzi is left, and he insists he knows nothing. There's no evidence linking the criminals to Wang Yun. It seems their connection relies on someone else hiding behind the scenes."

Hu Xiaoniu felt puzzled, "I'm also confused. The four criminals who captured us were all caught by Kunlun. How did they contact Wang Yun? But we're about to cross over again, and I'll find her in the other world."

Hu Xiaoniu's father looked at him, "Do you want to take revenge on Wang Yun?"

Hu Xiaoniu was silent for a moment, "Can I?"

The middle-aged businessman smiled, "Of course, but I want to know why you're so determined to take revenge this time. This morning, Tianzhen said that last night, you even told the assassin to ignore your life in order to take revenge. That's not like you."

He knew his son well: he had some intelligence and wisdom, but hadn't experienced the harsh realities of society.

He had some integrity, but hadn't yet figured out what kind of person he wanted to be.

But at this moment, Hu Xiaoniu said, "When I was a child, Grandpa always told my brother and me stories about his war experiences, about how his old company commander bravely sacrificed himself to cover the retreat of others. I'm a selfish person, and maybe because the war was so long ago, I always thought Grandpa was exaggerating. But Dad, I only realized yesterday that such people really exist. I might not become one of them, but I hope to do something for them."

"Dad, yesterday, those two friends of Kunlun fought to the death to open a path to safety for the students. Later, when I was taken away by the criminals, I looked back in the darkness and saw a look of relief on his face, without any regret."