Vol 1 Chapter 7.3 (2/2)
I improved by twenty places in my mid-semester exam results and was now ranked in the middle of the cla.s.s. My parents’ expectations of me were always very low so they were pretty happy to see me improve. Teacher Wu however, was still disappointed, this was her first cla.s.s in No.1 and when she accepted this cla.s.s, I was already presumed to be the student who will bring her glory and help her have a steady footing in No.1 but now, I was letting her down.
Xiao Bo’s mid-semester exam results, no, I should call it his practice exam results were very good, he was placed 49th in his year level.
Another week pa.s.sed. One day, when I was riding my bicycle home, a person rode to my side. From the corner of my eye, I saw that it was Zhang Jun so I ignored him. When we got to the roundabout, he used his bike to block me and didn’t let me turn so I could only keep riding with him.
He lead me to the side of the river then stopped riding, “Where’s the thing?”
“Thrown away.” After speaking, I pressed down on my bicycle wanting to leave but he pulled me back, “I’m not joking with you, return it to me.”
“I said I threw it away, if you have the ability then go to the rubbish dump to find it.”
“That thing has an owner. If I don’t return it, he’ll be very angry.”
I sneered, “I’m so scared! Go tell him to come find me instead!”
He stared at me. I put my chin up and stared back at him. Who was afraid of who?
He was quiet for a while then asked, “What do you want to remember where you threw it?”
I stared at him but didn’t speak.
He softened his tone, “If I don’t return it, I’ll be in trouble.”
I coldly said, “I think you’ll have trouble if you take it back. In the ‘People’s Republic of China Criminal Law’, Article 125 states that: illegal storage of firearms, ammunition and explosives will lead to more than three years in jail; if the circ.u.mstances are serious, it will lead to more than ten years imprisonment, life imprisonment or death!”
He quietly looked at me without speaking then started laughing. This was the first time I saw him laugh since the incident happened.
I felt a sense of frustration. I forcefully threw away his hand and started riding my bike to leave. He hurriedly grabbed the back of my bike and pulled me back.
He thought for a while then said, “In the two weeks that I was locked up, the things I should think about, the things that I shouldn’t think about, things in the past, things in the future, I’ve thought about them all. The taste of being inside there isn’t that great, at the time, I was really pretty scared I’d stay in there from then on.”
“You mean you regret all your past actions?”
He didn’t reply. I stared at him for a while then said, “Get on.”
He immediately went to get his own bicycle. I lead him to the place I hid the gun and dug it out.
He wanted to hold it but I grasped the gun and asked, “Is there are bullet inside?”
He nodded.
“Do you know how to use it?”
He nodded again.
“How do you use it? On television they keep talking about a safety bolt, where is it?
He smiled, “This is a double action trigger, there isn’t the so called safety bolt on this. If you press down hard enough and pull the trigger twice, the bullet will come out.”
I gripped the gun and got into a pose I learnt from TV then aimed the gun at him. He laughed, “This isn’t fun.”
I asked, “What do you like to eat the most?”
He looked at me in astonishment. I sternly said, “Reply to me!”
“Braised fish.”
“Do you like your mom and dad?”
“No.”
“Which brother in law do you like the most?”
“My second brother in law.”
My words came out faster and faster, leading him to also speed up his answers.
“Which sister do you like the most?”
“My fourth sis.”
“Who are you most thankful towards?”
“Teacher Gao.”
“Who do you hate the most?”
“Grandma.”
“Which girlfriend do you like the most?”
“All……” He paused, “My current one.”
I pretended not to pay attention and continued, “Which cla.s.smate do you like the most?”
“They’re all the same.”
“Who do you like?”
He laughed. I angrily waved the gun, “Don’t laugh! Can’t you see I’m holding a gun?”
“Didn’t you just ask? My current girlfriend ah!”
I randomly made up a few other questions and after he answered them all, I returned the gun to him, “Wipe my fingerprints off, if you go to prison, don’t mention me at all or else even if I die, I’ll still come back to get revenge on you.” I stood up and turned to leave. Behind me, he shouted, “Luo Qi Qi.”
I looked back, he walked in front of me, gripping the gun with both hands. He pulled the latch and there was the sound of a click. He pointed the gun to my forehead and said, “I forgot to teach you this just then. Now the bullet is inside the gun and can be used.”
I snorted and said in disdain, “You don’t dare to shoot the gun!”
Just as I finished speaking, I heard him pull the trigger. My body started trembling involuntarily. His stare was ice cold but the gun pressed to my forehead was even colder. It was the first time I thought that those people calling him ‘Brother Jun’ was absolutely justified.
Many times, when something happens too quickly, a lot of people will have a moment of courage. However, sometimes, when you have the time to think the situation through in your head, you will feel completely different, courage doesn’t grow with time, it dissipates.
Right now, I had that feeling. I went from scoffing at him at the start to gradually believing that he could really pull the trigger. Like solving a geometry problem, I rapidly a.n.a.lysed the situation in my mind. Even if he killed me, no one will know. First, I’ve never mixed with him before, we haven’t talked once in our three years; secondly, no one knew that I hid the gun for him even less that I would be out in this uninhabited area; and lastly, as long as he tinkers with my body after he kills me, he can easily mislead the police to another direction. Plus, I believe that the investigation skills of our police can’t compare to the detectives in Agatha Christie’s novels……
“It’s my turn to ask you questions. When I ask, you have to immediately answer, you’re not allowed to think over it.” His voice broke my train of thoughts.
“What do you like eating the most?”
“Lamb skewers.”
“Do you like your parents?”
“No.”
“Do you like your little sister?”
“No.”
“Which relative do you like the most?”
“Grandpa.”
“Where is he?”
“Dead.”
“Who are you most thankful towards?”
“Teacher Gao.”
“Who do you hate the most?”
Teacher Zhang.”
“Is Xu Xiao Bo your boyfriend?”
“No.”
“Do you love Xu Xiao Bo?”
“No.”
“Who is your best friend?”
“Xiao Fei.”
He looked at me and didn’t ask any more. “Have you finished asking?”
He took the gun away and I immediately ran to my bike and rode away, wanting to flee from him as fast as possible.
<script>