Chapter 47 - The Past Is Not the Future (1/2)

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Tu Yong rushed home excitedly from school to find his mother sitting lethargically by the table. There was a newspaper beside her.

Feeling that something was off, he snatched the paper up.

” BUS FLIPS INTO RAVINE – NO SURVIVORS

Report: Yesterday afternoon, a coach heading from Song County to Luoyang skidded off a turn on the mountain road, which was damp with rain and slid over the adjacent cliff. There were no survivors…”

Tu Yong could feel his brain just going toast, and the paper slid off his hand. Daddy was the coach driver…

Tomorrow was his birthday and before leaving, his father had promised him a birthday gift―was this it?

The next day, the company’s director came with a few meaningless words of consolation and dropped off a few dimes of pension before leaving. His mother quietly served the man throughout the process. Those directors―after all his dad had done―never gave him beneficial housing or raised his wages.

Now he was gone. Even then, all they did was pass off a few cheap condolences as if it was a mere formality; they were not even heartfelt. What use was there?

A family without a father loses its main income. While his mother was strong, her unit benefits decreased year after year until she became part of the first batch of workers who got laid off. From then on, the family had to rely on the monthly social support of 200 $. In addition to that, there were his mother’s wages from various odd jobs.

While she quietly assumed the burden of their difficult life, Tu Yong’s change broke her heart. After his father passed away, he spoke a lot less and turned a cold shoulder to everyone.

Why are they looking at me with those eyes? Because I lost my dad?

F*ck! Isn’t it just the same as playing hooky―being late to school, fighting, smoking and drinking? What makes you think you have the right to mind what I do?!

All of you. You think there’s safety in numbers? F*ck! I’ll do you all in!

“Argh! The kid doesn’t want to live! You’ll get killed by him! Run!”

…

He stared at the people in front of him, his own face dripping wet from someone’s blood. He clenched the metal pipe in his fists.

“You’re brother Tu Yong? We’ll follow you from now on, Big Brother!”

And from that day, he became the leader of a faction of street thugs. With his savagery and ruthlessness, he quickly earned the nickname “The Butcher”.

Left without a choice against her stubborn child, his mother was forced to send him to Yang Guang High―a reform school.

Still, she would visit him every month and give him money for monthly expenses. He would take it without a single word of concern for her. Did he never notice how rapidly her white hair was growing, how hunched her back was now and how her facial features had aged? And she was not even 40!

What had he been doing all these years?

…

The match continued; the ball was sent to Tu Yong’s feet.

Yang Pan went up for a steal but was caught unawares―because with one wild spike, the motionless Tu Yong prodded the ball away from the sprinting Yang Pan and ran off at full speed!

Many of the others did not expect it either. The Butcher had been keeping his eye on Zhang Jun as long as the game had been going per his coach’s orders, never lifting a finger to help his team’s attack.

But now he was helping them and his offensive prowess was not to be underestimated. His dribbling, breakthrough and passing showed that he had what it takes to be an excellent midfielder. It was a pity that his teammates were not up to his level and would only waste his exquisite passes.

Despite knowing that the brat had a whole catalogue of dirty tricks, Wang Ning bravely met him. However, there were no cheap moves or loophole exploitations―not even a nasty foul. Tu Yong was intent on displaying his exquisite skills to one and all.

Against Wang Ning’s bodily defense, he shielded the ball with his back and swayed a bit to the left. Sensing from their conjoined frames that Wang Ning shifted his weight to the left as well, he immediately turned towards the right and with a prod, he got past a second marker!

Wang Ning was left rooted where he stood in disbelief; he was prepared to face some trick and never expected to be shaken off so neatly.

Grabbing the opportunity that the startled Shu Guang defense offered, Tu Yong burst into the penalty area.

If his teammates could not do it, he would!

Having no time to recall the other defenders, An Ke rushed towards Tu Yong alone.

“Want to score? Get past me first…”

Even before he could finish his boast, Tu Yong silenced him with a lob―the ball flew just over An Ke’s head and towards the open goal in a beautiful curve.

As cheers sounded, a shadow dashed over and volleyed the ball back towards the midfield just before the ball dropped.

It was Lin Xiaofang! When he saw Tu Yong dash into the area and An Ke leaving his line to keep him out, he did not run towards the attacker. Instead, he picked the right move and ran to his own goal to become the last line of defense. So, he was there to clear the danger at the right place at the right time.

Tu Yong began to mark Zhang Jun again. There were some hand movements amid the defending and attempts to dribble, but it was normal contact this time around.

Zhang Jun had not encountered such intense defending for a long time; the sweat and the hard breathing excited him.

Turn, pull, spike, feint―nonetheless, Tu Yong stuck to him one way or the other. Zhang Jun did not even have to look; his body could sense the ever-present pressure from his opponent.

“Looks like Zhang Jun has no way to make a breakthrough,” Xiao Zhang said, saying something for the first time since the game started.

“Nope”―Chen Huafeng shook his head―”he’s just finished warming up!”

As if on cue, Zhang Jun sped up. The ball that he was kicking between his feet quickened and suddenly, it vanished!

While he kept Tu Yong confused, Zhang Jun lowered himself, picked up his pace and dashed away. His prodding of the ball with both feet formed an optical illusion and using the chance, he slipped the ball between his marker’s legs.

Tu Yong was left behind!

Ridding himself off his pesky opponent, Zhang Jun ran forward. However, the field’s condition was poor and did not comply with regulations, so the ball kept bouncing all the way. He would have lost the ball if he did not have enough experience.

Nevertheless, the penalty area was small and any small mistake on his part would see him lose possession. The intelligent Zhang Jun however, passed the ball out of the box after attracting a few defenders towards him.

Yang Pan ran on to it and fired a drive!

The ball whistled towards the goal. The Yang Guang keeper did not even move as the ball thumped into goal right beside his face.