Kapitel 17: Chapter 17: Frenzy
Su Ming turned his head calmly, his gaze falling on Chen Tong, who sat with his legs arrogantly propped on the desk, a mocking smirk plastered on his face.
Unperturbed, Su Ming replied with a neutral tone, "Then why don't you go?"
"Why should I? I'm not going," Chen Tong sneered, leaning back in his chair.
"Then shut up. Ming Ke, let's go," Su Ming said dismissively, rising from his seat.
"Alright," Ming Ke nodded, ready to leave.
But just as the two reached the doorway, Chen Tong suddenly stood up and called out, "Wait!"
"What is it?" Su Ming turned back, his expression calm but slightly impatient.
Chen Tong swaggered over with his usual smug air. "I'm coming too," he announced.
Su Ming raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with curiosity. "Didn't you just say you weren't coming? What changed your mind?"
"None of your business. I just feel like it," Chen Tong replied, his tone dripping with insolence.
Worried the two might start bickering, Ming Ke quickly intervened. "Since you want to come, let's go together. I'm sure Mr. Tang will be happy to see us all."
Su Ming didn't bother arguing further. Without another word, the three set off together.
---
An hour later, the trio arrived at a modest apartment building near the school. Standing before one of the doors, Ming Ke stepped forward and knocked.
Knock, knock.
The door opened shortly after, revealing a middle-aged woman with graying hair and a kind face lined with wrinkles. She looked at them curiously.
"Who are you?" she asked, her tone gentle but cautious.
"Auntie, is this Mr. Tang's home? We're his students," Ming Ke explained.
"Oh, yes, yes. I'm his mother. Come in, come in," she said warmly, ushering them inside.
As Su Ming stepped in, he took a quick glance around. The furniture was old and worn, the chairs and table showing their age. The living room was small, and judging by the overall size, the entire apartment couldn't be more than eighty square meters.
"Where's Mr. Tang?" Ming Ke asked curiously, noticing the absence of their teacher.
"He's in his room. You can go see him," Mr. Tang's mother said with a smile.
The three exchanged glances before heading to the indicated room. The door was slightly ajar, left partially open.
"Mr. Tang, we came to see you," Ming Ke called out softly. There was no response.
Sharing a worried look, the trio cautiously pushed the door open and entered.
The room was dimly lit, the curtains drawn tightly shut, casting the space in shadows. A faint ticking sound came from an old alarm clock on the bedside table.
Their eyes fell on the bed, where Mr. Tang sat curled up near the edge, completely wrapped in a blanket with his head buried between his knees—resembling an ostrich hiding from the world.
"Mr. Tang, are you alright?" Ming Ke asked gently, stepping closer.
"How could I be alright? My life… my dreams… my love… all ruined," came Tang Yan's muffled, despondent reply.
Seeing their teacher in such a state, Su Ming felt a headache coming on. Deep down, he knew this situation partly stemmed from his own involvement. After a moment's thought, he spoke with a steady tone.
"Mr. Tang, you need to pull yourself together. Life is full of obstacles, but what matters is persistence. Even if the odds seem slim, as long as there's a chance, we must never give up. One day, when you succeed, all of this will seem like mere passing storms."
"Do you really think… I still have a chance?" Tang Yan slowly lifted his head, his eyes glimmering faintly with hope.
"Of course, Mr. Tang! You're a good person, and good things happen to good people," Ming Ke quickly added, eager to fan the small spark of hope.
Seizing the opportunity, Su Ming continued, "Mr. Tang, you're not fighting alone. You have us. If you help us succeed, your quota will be within reach, and you can chase your dreams without regret."
"Yes, you're right. I still have hope. I just…" Tang Yan's voice trailed off, the faint flicker of hope in his eyes growing slightly brighter.
Noticing this, Ming Ke turned to Chen Tong, gesturing for him to say something encouraging. Reluctantly, Chen Tong muttered, "Mr. Tang, even though you're… older, there's still hope."
"Older…?" Tang Yan froze. His fragile optimism shattered like glass hit by a hammer. "I'm old… It's over, isn't it? You're all just trying to comfort me, but the truth is I have no hope left."
The little flame of hope extinguished completely as Tang Yan buried his head in his knees again.
Su Ming and Ming Ke both shot glares at Chen Tong, who shrugged nonchalantly, as if to say, "I didn't mean it that way."
Left with no other choice, the two began trying to console their teacher again.
"Mr. Tang, that's not what Chen Tong meant! You're not old at all. With our lifespans, you're still in your prime…"
---
Over an hour later.
Night had fallen by the time the trio emerged from Mr. Tang's apartment, all looking thoroughly drained. They walked down the quiet, deserted street, their moods as bleak as the evening.
"Chen Tong, you said Su Ming has a sharp tongue, but you're no better!" Ming Ke complained, barely holding back his frustration.
"Tch. What was I supposed to do? It's not my fault he's so sensitive," Chen Tong retorted, hands stuffed in his pockets.
"You know Mr. Tang is fragile right now, yet you just blurt out whatever comes to mind. Now what? If he doesn't pull himself together, we'll have to self-study again tomorrow. There aren't any substitute teachers," Ming Ke snapped.
"Not my problem. I don't care," Chen Tong replied with his usual air of defiance.
Ahead of them, Su Ming suddenly stopped in his tracks. Caught off guard, Ming Ke and Chen Tong nearly bumped into him.
"Su Ming, why did you stop?" Ming Ke asked, puzzled.
Without answering, Su Ming furrowed his brow, staring straight ahead. Sensing something was off, Ming Ke and Chen Tong followed his gaze.
From a dimly lit alley, a group of ten rough-looking men emerged, their eyes filled with malice. Dressed in flashy, mismatched clothes and wielding wooden bats, they walked confidently toward the trio.
At the front of the group was a muscular man with orange-dyed hair, a cigarette dangling from his lips, and a scruffy beard.
They stopped a few paces away, blocking the trio's path.
"That's the fat one, Boss Qiang. We finally caught him," one of the thugs said excitedly, pointing at Su Ming.
"Did I ask for a play-by-play?" Wang Qiang sneered.
Su Ming let out a deep breath. Of course, they were after him. He should've known better than to leave the safety of the school. But there was no point in dwelling on it now. He turned to Ming Ke and Chen Tong.
"They're here for me. This has nothing to do with you. You should leave."
"As class monitor, there's no way I'm abandoning you," Ming Ke declared, striking a boxer's stance.
Su Ming glanced at Chen Tong, who stood motionless. "And you? Why aren't you leaving?"
"What, and lose face? No way. I'm staying," Chen Tong said arrogantly.
Su Ming smiled faintly. "Alright, then we'll face them together."
Despite his usual sharp tongue and cocky attitude, Chen Tong was proving to have more backbone than expected in a tough situation.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein