r18novel Chapter 18 Turning Danger into Safety
Chapter 18 Turning Danger into Safety
To prevent Sun Changlin and his gang from getting away with this, Hong Liguo and the other five people spent several days in a state of tension and vigilance, almost never letting Jie be alone, for fear that if Jie were alone, Sun Changlin would come looking for trouble.
Sun Changlin and his three companions did not actively seek trouble for Hong Liguo and his group. Just when Hong Liguo and his group thought that the incident had passed by easily, Sun Changlin took advantage of Hong Liguo and Fa Zi's moment of relaxation and suddenly went to cause trouble for Jie.
It was an ordinary afternoon. After the second class, perhaps misled by the tranquility of the past few days, Jie relaxed his tense nerves. Without saying hello to Hong Liguo or any of the others, he walked alone towards the restroom.
The school toilets back then were so rudimentary they were almost shabby. The walls were mottled and stained, the floor was damp and filled with all sorts of indescribable filth, and a pungent odor permeated every inch of the air, making people want to stay away. So, on weekdays, Hong Liguo and his friends would usually jump over the not-so-high mud wall and go to the ditch outside to relieve themselves. They had been going to the toilet together for the past few days, but today, Jie suddenly needed to go and, seeing that none of them were with him, he ran out by himself.
Wang Laoba, the guy who often acted as an "eyes and ears" in campus disputes, was the first to spot the lone Jie. His cunning eyes darted around, and he immediately told the classmate next to him to run and inform Sun Changlin. Sun Changlin avoided Hong Liguo and Fa Zi and the others, and led Yi Jianping, Liu Lianbo and Zhang Qiaoyun to run towards the outside of the school wall.
After relieving himself in the pit, Jie had just finished fastening his belt and was walking back to the wall when, before he could even climb over, he was suddenly confronted by Sun Changlin and his three companions, who appeared in his line of sight like menacing demons. This unexpected sight sent a chill down Jie's spine, his heart leaping into his throat. He thought to himself, "It's over. I was careless and fell into Sun Changlin's ambush."
Sometimes, when people are in dire straits, they can unleash the courage hidden deep within their hearts, just like Xiang Yu in the long river of history who burned his boats and destroyed his cauldrons. When the way out is cut off and there is nowhere to retreat, the fear will also dissipate.
Jay knew that at this moment, he was no match for Sun Changlin and his group. Even if he called for help, the classroom was so far away that Xiao Guo and Jun Ge probably wouldn't hear him. Facing such a powerful opponent, one with whom he had a grudge, even if he knelt down and begged for mercy, given Sun Changlin's vengeful nature, he probably wouldn't let him off the hook.
Thinking this through, Jay thought to himself: "Whether I stick my neck out or not, I'll still be the one to suffer. At worst, I'll fight him to the death. Maybe Xiao Guo and the others will realize I'm not here and be on their way!"
Jieqiang suppressed his inner panic and fear, straightened his spine, and stared intently at the tall and burly Sun Changlin. His face was solemn, his fists were clenched so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palms, and he was ready... to fight to the death. Although his heart was trembling slightly, his eyes revealed a resolute determination to face death.
At that moment, it seemed as if time and air had frozen.
However, to Ling Jie's utter surprise, after staring at him for two or three minutes, Sun Changlin suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter. The laughter echoed in the surrounding air, sounding particularly jarring.
"What a fearless hero! Well done, I like it. Wu Jie, I didn't expect you to be so bold. How about we become friends?" Sun Changlin said, extending his right hand towards Jie.
Jay remained silent, his mind racing, trying to discern the true purpose behind Sun Changlin's actions. In his mind, how could Sun Changlin possibly let this go so easily!
In truth, Sun Changlin genuinely admired Jie's courage and held him in awe of his decisiveness and... His offer to befriend Jie this time was truly sincere. This intention not only raised doubts in Jie's mind, but also surprised Yi Jianping, Liu Lianbo, and Zhang Qiaoyun.
Facing the questioning looks from his companions, Sun Changlin slightly raised his chin and said calmly, "I respect people with courage and boldness the most. If he were like those spineless cowards, kneeling down and begging for mercy when he saw us, I would have looked down on him and taught him a lesson. But now he faces the four of us alone without any fear, which I admire from the bottom of my heart. Wu Jie is a man of guts, and he is worthy of being my friend."
Sun Changlin's hand had been outstretched in mid-air for quite some time, but Jie didn't extend his hand to shake it. Seeing that Jie remained expressionless and his eyes were full of wariness, he knew that Jie still harbored resentment, so he couldn't help but speak again: "Wu Jie, what are you standing there for? What? Do you think I, Sun Changlin, am not worthy to be your friend?"
At this moment, Jie had no time to consider whether he was a good match or not; he was simply bewildered by the sudden turn of events. He had never imagined that Sun Changlin would want to be his friend. Sun Changlin's hand was already outstretched and had been hovering in front of him for a long time. He knew that if he didn't respond, it would be tantamount to openly ignoring Sun Changlin and his group, and the consequences of that would be unimaginable.
Jie took a deep breath, trying his best to calm himself down. He took a decisive and firm step forward, slowly extended his right hand, and carefully shook hands with Sun Changlin. Although Jie's heart was still pounding with anxiety, he tried to make his voice sound calm: "It would be best if we could turn hostility into friendship."
Sun Changlin gripped Jie's hand tightly and burst into laughter again: "Hahaha! That's a good phrase, 'turn swords into plowshares'! From today onwards, we're reconciled. Having more friends means having more options!" He then turned to the three behind him, his expression serious, and said, "From now on, Wu Jie is one of us. No one is allowed to cause him any more trouble. If anyone dares to bully him, and we see it, we must help them. Do you all understand?"
Yi Jianping, Liu Lianbo, and Zhang Qiaoyun exchanged glances, looking at Sun Changlin in disbelief. They never expected Sun Changlin to suddenly change so drastically, but they still replied in unison, "We understand!"
Even now, Jie felt as if he were in a bizarre dream, finding it hard to believe that his relationship with Sun Changlin had ended this way. Ever since that day… he had tossed and turned in bed every night, unable to sleep, imagining countless possible scenarios, but he had never expected this outcome. Sun Changlin was truly unfathomable to him, like a fog that he couldn't see into.