Unspoken Hardship

In his previous life, Wang Ye had encountered the same thing just now.

But back then, he had not dared to step in. Like Little Black, he had only hidden in the corridor and watched. It was only after Song Xiaogang had been beaten up and the three tall, medium, and short guys had swaggered away that he returned to the room and offered Song Xiaogang some comfort.

Because of that incident, Song Xiaogang had become withdrawn for quite a long time, and smiles were rarely seen on his face.

Of course, Wang Ye could not be blamed for failing to help. He had only been a student fresh out of high school, with no experience of the wider world and no idea how to handle something like that.

Besides, he had just arrived in Moscow and did not know the place or anyone there. He had still been completely disoriented, so how could he have dared to meddle in other people's business...

Now, after nearly twenty years of life experience, dealing with such a "small scene" naturally came easily to him!

When he arrived at the convenience store on the first floor, it was already late at night, but the store was still open. It operated twenty-four hours a day.

He skillfully ordered two large cans of beer and a jar of pickles, then carried them back to the dormitory.

As soon as he entered, Song Xiaogang returned from the bathroom as well, pressing a hot towel against his face.

The dorm had hot water available. In this miserable weather, washing one's face and brushing one's teeth with cold water would have been sheer torture!

After closing the door, Wang Ye picked up a can of beer, popped the tab with a bang, and handed it to Song Xiaogang with a smile. "Come on, let's have a drink and chat. I also bought some pickles."

Song Xiaogang froze for a moment before taking the beer. He clearly could not sleep either and had a bellyful of words he wanted to pour out to someone.

Little Black had already lain down, wearing headphones and listening to music. It was impossible to tell whether he had fallen asleep.

Wang Ye did not bother with him. He opened the jar of pickles, and the two of them began drinking, each with a can of ice-cold beer and pickles to go with it.

After taking a bite of half a pickle and gulping down a large mouthful of beer, Song Xiaogang let out a long breath and said with a bitter smile, "You probably think I'm a coward, don't you? I got beaten like that and didn't dare fight back."

Wang Ye smiled and shook his head. "You must have had your reasons. I can tell you're not someone who's timid and afraid of trouble. Otherwise, you wouldn't have slapped him twice at the end."

Indeed, if Song Xiaogang had truly been a coward, he would not have dared to act when Wang Ye told him to slap the long-haired short guy.

After all, everyone understood that those two slaps meant they had become enemies!

Even if the long-haired short guy had not dared say anything that night because Wang Ye had intimidated him, he would definitely hold a grudge and might cause trouble again later.

But Song Xiaogang had still struck without hesitation!

That showed that he had let go of his inner burden and would no longer shrink back in fear!

Hearing Wang Ye's words, Song Xiaogang felt as though he had found a kindred spirit, because Wang Ye understood him...

After pondering for a moment, he began telling his story.

"When I was very young, my mom died from illness. My dad raised me alone."

"I know it hasn't been easy for him. He's only in his forties this year, but all his hair has already turned white. He looks like he's in his sixties or seventies."

"Sigh, I haven't lived up to expectations either. I wasn't good at studying, and I didn't get into a good university on the college entrance exam this year."

"For my future, Dad took out all the family's savings and borrowed money everywhere to send me abroad to study."

"Before I came, I swore that if I didn't make something of myself, I wouldn't go back and face him!"

"So when they beat me just now, I couldn't fight back..."

"Taking a few hits doesn't matter, but if things got out of hand and the school expelled me, how could I ever face Dad when I returned home..."

Sure enough, Song Xiaogang had a hardship he could not speak of when he endured the beating without fighting back.

Sometimes, all one saw was what happened on the surface, without knowing the reasons behind it. Everyone had their own story.

Wang Ye nodded, reached out, and patted Song Xiaogang's broad shoulder. "I understand. But you need to know that when you're getting by abroad, you can't always endure and retreat whenever something happens. That will only make others think you're easy to bully, and they'll keep pushing their luck. The same principle applies whether you're dealing with your own countrymen or foreigners."

Song Xiaogang nodded repeatedly. "Mm, mm, I understand now. Wang Ye, you're amazing. Your Russian is so good, and the way you handled things was so... so skillful. I'll have to learn more from you in the future."

The way he looked at Wang Ye now was full of admiration. He was clearly completely convinced.

Wang Ye smiled without saying anything, merely raising his beer can. "Come on, drink! Once we're done, let's sleep. When we wake up, it'll all be over."

He had only just arrived in Moscow, yet he had already run into this kind of crap.

By helping Song Xiaogang, he had offended the long-haired short guy and made an enemy. Wang Ye felt rather helpless about it too.

Still, it was not without gain. At the very least, Song Xiaogang was now thoroughly convinced by him and deeply grateful.

If Wang Ye needed Song Xiaogang's help with anything in the future, Song Xiaogang surely would not refuse.

That meant he had gained a capable helper...

After finishing their beer, the two went to sleep. Wang Ye did not let his thoughts wander anymore. After sitting on a plane all day, his body was already exhausted, and he quickly drifted into dreamland...

When he opened his eyes the next day, it was already after ten in the morning.

Just after getting dressed, washing up, and returning to the room, class monitor Zhou Yuan came in with a smile. "Did you rest okay last night? Oh, right, we're having a group meal at noon. The teacher leading the group is treating us at the Chinese restaurant downstairs! Consider it a welcome dinner for you all. We're on holiday these next couple of days anyway, so there are no classes."

It was still the New Year's Day holiday, so Zhou Yuan and the others did not have to attend class either.

This was also Russia's "New Year," their grandest holiday. The period from the first to the tenth was all considered vacation.

Wang Ye and the others would not begin classes until after the tenth.

But they could not spend those ten or so days idle. They had to complete enrollment procedures, pay tuition, medical insurance, and accommodation fees, and familiarize themselves with the surrounding area.

For at least the next four and a half years, perhaps even longer, they would be living here...

Wang Ye had used an agency to arrange his studies abroad. This agency specialized in studying in Russia and was quite well-known in the industry.

There were more than thirty students in this year's group coming to People's Friendship University!

And that was only People's Friendship University. The agency had also processed applications for other schools, such as Moscow University and Saint Petersburg University.

Class monitor Zhou Yuan and Song Xiaogang were part of the first group to arrive and had already been there for several months. Wang Ye and the others were in the second and final group.

Therefore, Zhou Yuan and Song Xiaogang would study in the preparatory program for one year, while Wang Ye and the others only needed to study for half a year.

Of course, when it came to the preparatory program graduation exams, Wang Ye and the others would not be given an easier time because of that. The exams would remain exactly as they were supposed to be.