v1c4 (1/2)
Volume One: Eastwood Is All Stones
Chapter 4: The hood cannot hide your face
When the fifteen-year old Xu Le made this claim in a trembling voice and the most sincere and clipped tone, obviously he didn’t think this dream would ever come true. An orphan in the remote Eastwood Grand District could certainly become totally obsessed with the purple-haired little G.o.ddess of the Federation on an ultra-thin TV on his knees and use such a strong-worded proclamation to express his intense emotion. The real root probably had more to do with the physiological changes due to p.u.b.erty.
The poor is certainly ent.i.tled the right and the courage to fantasize, only that the huge gap between different social stratums is not something that can be narrowed by individual efforts. Other than his poorness, the youngster Xu Le had nothing else to offer. He probably would never have the chance to set his foot on the capital star, not even just for a short tour….
Xu Le was not a particularly handsome young lad. He was certainly not ugly, but only possessed a still somewhat puerile, tender, and ordinary face, just like any ordinary teenage boy. He had neither an attractive face nor an adorable figure. He was, after all, just one of the common people.
The most noticeable feature on his face had to be his eyes, which squinted slightly under the dark bushy eyebrows and appeared to be a bit small, not really matching well with the pair of attractive eyebrows. Especially when he was deep in thought, his eyes would squint even more, and the once sincere and austere expression in his eyes would be tainted with an infatuated and naive look.
However, if someone could stare deep inside the pupils, behind the infatuated look, he’d for sure find some stone-solid persistence and determination, a special trademark trait of the Eastwooders.
……
……
“Between the age fifteen and fifty…every man in the Federation thinks Jian Shui-Er is super gorgeous, and each one would be willing to take her for a bride,” Under the dim night sky and the big green tree, Brother Wei patted Xu Le gently on his somewhat feeble shoulder and uttered with the utmost sympathy. “Me included. But I am too thin-skinned to say it out loud. You are indeed shameless!”
“I…I think so too.”
The young boy by Brother Wei’s side cast a sneaky glance at Xu Le. When he confirmed that Brother Le’s eyes were still fixed on the s.h.i.+ning display of the ultra-thin crystal screen, totally preoccupied by the purplish portrait in the last frozen frame of the episode, he finally gathered enough courage and added his comment.
Xu Le raised his head slowly and glanced at the little boy.
“Little Qiang, you are only ten. You don’t know Jack!” he said with a grin.
After that remark, Xu Le stood up and leaned against the trunk of the big green tree. He pressed lightly on the side of the ultra-thin crystal screen. With a pleasant sliding sound the entire screen retracted into a thin circular shaft.
He gently stroked the smooth metal surface of the circular shaft, a trace of grief creeping in his thick eyebrows.
“This is a high-quality pirated model of the N98. It’s worth at least four thousand on the market. You got yourself a really good deal, Li Wei. It is yours now, but if want it repaired one day, I still have to charge you.”
“Stop acting like a girl!” Li Wei scratched his pale blonde curly hair irritably and s.n.a.t.c.hed the circular shaft from Xu Le’s hand. “You’ve got to see that stern face of Bao Longtao today. Are you saying that the risk we took today, over one hundred of us, is not even worth the d.a.m.n TV?”
Xu Le let out a grin and did not argue with him. Instead, he gave a strong pat to Li Wei’s shoulder.
“Same old deal. If I need anything, I’ll trouble you again.”
Li Wei did not reply immediately, and instead, stared at the ordinary-looking face of Xu Le, puzzled. He continued with the stare for a long time until he could no longer withhold the question.
“Where have you been hanging out during the day for the last two years? Why are you always hiding from us? I know you don’t like us hanging out on the streets, afraid that we might eventually turn into gangs…. But the school has always kept the gate open for us. Frankly speaking, for the last ten years, the government has been good to us.
“We’ve thrown away school course work for many years. How are we ever able to catch up?” Xu Le heaved a sigh helplessly.
Li Wei didn’t fancy convincing his friend so easily. He cussed a few words in annoyance.
“You son of a b.i.t.c.h, I am just afraid you’ll turn autistic.”