Chapter 7

...... time... rewind...

"Li Huale, that's enough! You said you hit people to save someone, but where is the person you saved? Why did the police say you were the one who committed violence?" Jiang Dongrun shouted angrily, looking at the teenager beside him. The teenager was wearing loose hip-hop clothing, had a spiky hairstyle, and a silver chain hanging from his belt. His face was bruised.

"Jiang Dongrun, don't get mad. Huale is probably telling the truth... right? One person against six, that doesn't make any sense!" Li Yuanba, seeing his old friend about to lose his temper, quickly reached out to hold him back.

"Good thing I held him back!"

"Good thing he held me back!"

This was the thought that simultaneously crossed both Li Yuanba and Jiang Dongrun's minds. They were genuinely afraid that this punk kid might suddenly go berserk and start beating up his "father."

Seventeen-year-old Li Huale, somewhat annoyed, pursed his lips and moved his tongue in his left cheek. He then said with a sour face, "I already told you, I saw those six guys dragging a girl into the woods. The girl was also calling for help, so I went to save her. As for why she ran away, I have no idea. I don't have superpowers. And even if you are my stepfather, you should still have evidence before you speak. I often get into trouble, but I'm not a mindless thug. Compared to those idiot seniors at school, I'm much more mature!"

"Mature, mature... mature my ass! No, not even Minjeong would call you mature. Look at what you've done over the years, look at the pile of medical bills at home, and count how many times you've been to the police station in the past two years. Do you think I believe your lies? And if you were really mature, would you not be able to get into university? You scored enough to meet the admission standards, but no university would accept you. Is this your idea of maturity?" Jiang Dongrun scolded, his eyes wide with disappointment. He felt let down by this stepson, who, despite sticking to his own principles, acted in a way that was far from normal for a young person. He had already worried himself sick over this punk and couldn't take it anymore.

Li Huale pursed his lips, not caring at all, and instead rubbed his stomach. "I'm hungry. Why don't we go eat some barbecue?"

"Damn it, don't change the subject!!"

"Enough, enough, I've had it with you, you little punk. I can now formally inform you that I've already gotten you accepted into Lingnan University. So the day after tomorrow... no, no, tomorrow, I'll take you to Daegu to register. You'll continue your... 'Peace Guardian' activities there."

"Peace Guardian!"

"Right, continue your Peace Guardian activities. If anything happens, I won't bother with you anymore. Do whatever you want!" Jiang Dongrun tugged at his tie, his face flushed as he shouted.

Li Huale's eyes suddenly flickered with intense emotion. He then yelled, "I'm not going! If you want to kick me out, give me back my passport, ID, and everything else. I want to go back to China. I'm sick of this place. There are so many self-righteous idiots here. I'm afraid I'll be corrupted by their supreme intelligence!"

"Supreme intelligence... you... there's no way you're going back. If you don't go, I'll have your mother talk to you. Then we'll see if you go or not!" Jiang Dongrun said with a dark face, then turned and walked towards the parking lot.

The mention of his mother immediately weakened Li Huale's resolve. Li Yuanba, standing nearby, looked at the stepfather and stepson with a mix of helplessness. He was about to try to mediate when...

"Bang!"

Li Huale's still somewhat youthful face suddenly turned fierce. He wildly punched the warning sign behind him, creating a hole. Then, with red eyes like a wild animal, he shouted, "Bitch, don't let me see you again. Damn, these days, even doing good deeds gets you accused!"

Li Yuanba, seeing Li Huale's violent behavior, finally understood why Jiang Dongrun was always complaining about his stepson.

"Little bastard, you're still causing trouble. I don't think you'll be going home today!"

Looking at the shocked Li Huale being pulled back inside by the police, Li Yuanba's forehead was covered in black lines.

"Damn it!!!"

Jiang Dongrun's roar came from the side, right on time.

A few seconds later, Jiang Dongrun's face changed from anger to disappointment. He sighed deeply, "This kid is beyond saving."

... rewind... line...

Thinking about his old friend's disappointment with this stepson, or perhaps remembering the free-spirited, rebellious teenager, Li Yuanba's body suddenly softened. Looking at the flames in Li Huale's eyes and his serious expression...

Li Yuanba remembered how Li Huale, who had disappeared after going to the airport, finally appeared in Hongdae and caused a chilling incident. Although he didn't see it himself, he heard about it from Jiang Dongrun.

At that time, Li Huale, though somewhat unruly, never bullied people, as he claimed. He always got into trouble but was free and unrestrained like a bird, unlike now...

"Alright, since you have a plan, let's do it your way. I'll handle the channels. This is our last shot. I hope I can extend my retirement a bit longer."

Hearing this, Li Huale felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. In reality, he was more afraid of this 28-year-old Li uncle leaving the company than Li Yuanba. Now, besides himself, the company's management only included Li Yuanba and a factory manager. The researchers had already left, but it didn't matter much. The new product had already been developed and patented, and with the lack of interest from others, the impact wasn't significant. Besides, both Li Yuanba and the factory manager were former researchers.

"Phew, with Uncle Li here, I feel more at ease. I probably won't come to the company for a while!" Li Huale stood up, feeling a sense of relief, as if he wasn't fighting alone. After all, he was only 22, and if he had to go it alone, he might not be able to hold on.

Seeing Li Huale about to leave, Li Yuanba asked curiously, "Where are you going? To get a celebrity endorsement?"

Li Huale walked towards the door, stepping over the coffee table. He turned back and smiled, "Knowledge is power, and learning leads to progress. I'm going to start a hellish learning journey. And if you see me on TV one day, don't be surprised. I will definitely find an endorser!"

"Bang!"

Watching Li Huale leave the office and close the door, Li Yuanba stood there for a moment before smiling bitterly, "It seems this kid might really be in for some trouble. I just hope everything he says comes true!"

...

On the morning of November 30, Li Huale found a teacher through a friend in Jiangnan to start learning the guitar.

In the afternoon of November 30, Li Huale found a former member of a dance group to start his dance training.

In the evening, he practiced the guitar, studied scriptwriting, and organized the memories in his mind into notes.

Entering the entertainment industry was a difficult and challenging goal. If he had a beautiful voice, it would be easier, but his rough, tone-deaf voice made it impossible for him to sing. So he chose a more unique path.

However, no matter what path he took, only strength mattered, even if it was fake strength.

For the next month, in a row of villas in Jiangnan, a house often echoed with music that seemed to be a joke.

...

On December 10, 2008, the davichi duo won the New Artist Award at the 25th Golden Disc Awards. Their schedule increased significantly and continued until the last day of December.

At 1 AM, after finishing the last New Year's Eve shoot, the davichi duo finally had a... two-day break.

"Minjeong, take a good rest these two days. I'll come to pick you up on Saturday!" The manager smiled as he watched the heavily dressed Jiang Minjeong get out of the car.

Beside her, Li Haili also smiled, "Happy New Year, Minjeong. I haven't seen your oppa in a long time. I hope you two don't argue!"

"Hmph! Who would argue with him? Happy New Year, Haili unnie and manager oppa. I'm going home!" Jiang Minjeong, wearing a black coat, got out of the car with her small bag, waved to the two, and walked towards the villa gate.

Standing by the door, Jiang Minjeong suddenly felt nervous. It had been almost a month and a half since her oppa was injured, and they hadn't even talked on the phone.

After talking to Soojin unnie a month ago, Jiang Minjeong knew the reason they broke up. Although she felt a bit embarrassed for misunderstanding her oppa, she didn't think she had wronged him, so she hadn't contacted him. Plus, with the end-of-year work, she had no time to spare.

Now, Jiang Minjeong hesitantly opened the door and walked into the villa's courtyard, slightly surprised to see the light still on in the living room.

"Is oppa still awake?"

She carefully approached the living room door and was stunned.

"Bang bang bang bang bang, bang bang bang..."

The classic background music from "Mission: Impossible," which is also heard in the opening of 007 films, was playing from a room on the first floor. Although it was strangely catchy, it gave Jiang Minjeong a weird feeling in the middle of the night.

"Swallow!"

Swallowing hard, Jiang Minjeong, a bit scared, took off her black sneakers, revealing her feet in black tights. She then quietly stepped onto the floor and carefully walked towards the source of the sound. As she passed the sofa, she picked up a glass vase with plastic flowers.

The catchy music made her feel like she was in a scene where a beauty was fighting a beast.

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