The atmosphere in the teachers' office was rather awkward.
Wen Xiu and Feng Huimin locked eyes, and Chen Ying could practically feel the gunpowder in the air.
These two idiots.
Chen Ying lowered his head. In front of him lay a test paper covered entirely in a foreign language.
"Mr. Fang, I really have something to do at home. There's still soup on the stove. I'll be going now."
"No hurry. Someone will look after the soup. Finish the paper first."
Fang Zhijie picked up his cup and took a sip.
"This is an entrance paper from Imperial College, a government school run by the colonial authorities. It ranks first in all of Hong Kong and Kowloon. All its teachers are scholars from the imperial homeland, every one of them from a prestigious university."
"A third of the students at this college can qualify for scholarships to study in the imperial homeland, while another third can go straight on to Hong Kong and Kowloon University."
"Chen Ying, if you want to transfer schools, this paper is one hurdle you'll have to clear."
Fuck. Even if the foreign words on this page recognize me, I don't recognize them.
Although both used alphabetic writing, Chen Ying couldn't make any sense of these squiggles. Besides, as a chosen one who had scored 426 on the College English Test Band Four in his previous life, he couldn't have managed even if it had been entirely in English.
"Can I take it home and study it at my own pace?"
Chen Ying asked sincerely, "And, Mr. Fang, have you really not noticed anything strange at school?"
"What strange things? The strangest things I've seen today are Feng Huimin's father being late to pick her up, and you and Wen Xiu hiding in another class's classroom."
Looks like I'll have to lay my cards on the table.
"Wen Xiu."
"Yes, Ying?"
Chen Ying looked at the girl on the other side, her eyes brimming with affection, and inwardly sighed. Crazy.
"Tell Mr. Fang what you just saw."
"I didn't see anything."
Wen Xiu tilted her head and smiled.
"Are you an idiot? Those gangsters just now, and that monster covered in hair..."
"Ying, don't joke around with Mr. Fang. It's late at night. It's not funny at all."
Motherfucker...
Chen Ying let out a long, heavy breath.
What's this woman's deal? Is there something wrong with her head? The priority is for everyone to get out of here together. What is all this nonsense doing but getting people hurt?
"The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, feats of strength, disorder, or spirits."
Fang Zhijie smiled. "If you conduct yourself uprightly, why worry about such things?"
Chen Ying glared at Wen Xiu and found the stupid woman looking back at him with utter resolve. She even gave a slight nod, with a hint of pride on her face.
What are you so resolute about? What are you proud of?
Fine. I meant to save you and get everyone out together, but I've said all I can. We'll just have to look out for ourselves.
This lousy school really is incompatible with me.
Fine. You forced me into this.
"Mr. Fang, I really can't stay here any longer. I'm going home right now."
Chen Ying stood up.
"And I've made up my mind. Every one of you is going home tonight."
"Now. Immediately. This instant. Anyone who objects, I'll beat them until they agree."
Fang Zhijie looked at Chen Ying in bewilderment.
"Chen Ying, don't get so worked up. Have some more herbal tea when you get home. If you want to leave, you can. I only wanted you to understand the gap between where you are now and your goal. Besides, I'm on duty tonight, and Feng Huimin still has to wait for her father..."
"Mr. Fang, have you never seen a ghost in your life?"
"No."
"Not even once?"
Chen Ying didn't believe it. With things the way they were in Hong Kong and Kowloon, someone could actually go their whole life without seeing a ghost?
"Don't you watch the news? All those mysterious incidents..."
"Mysterious incidents are one thing. Nothing like that has happened at our school..."
Fang Zhijie smiled faintly.
"Chen Ying, are you..."
"Fine. I saw two tonight. One was covered in hair, and the other was floating in midair singing The Flower Princess."
Chen Ying looked at Fang Zhijie.
"Mr. Fang, you're a good teacher. Tongwen and society both need you..."
"Chen Ying, since you're so insistent, I'll see you all out."
Fang Zhijie nodded as he spoke.
"Huh?"
Now it was Chen Ying's turn to be surprised. Was this man really so easy to persuade?
"It's too late. I'll see you out of school first, then take Feng Huimin home."
"Mr. Fang, I'd rather wait for my dad..."
Feng Huimin blushed.
"Your dad and I were classmates. We studied at Tongwen together back then. It's only right that I take you home. Once I've seen you all off, I'll come back and check around."
Fang Zhijie picked up his flashlight.
"Let's go."
Outside the campus.
"They're floating away? Why..."
Feng Ting watched the white lanterns burning with green flames rise higher and higher, speaking quietly to Mak Ho-lai beside him.
"There's no why. Most emergencies end not with a resolution, but with a pause. Still, congratulations, Sir Feng."
"Can I go pick up my daughter now, then?"
Feng Ting was a little anxious. He didn't know exactly how his daughter was doing inside the school. After all, it was already long past their agreed time.
"Wait a few more minutes. I'll go in with you."
Mak Ho-lai offered Feng Ting some reassurance.
"You?"
"We still don't know what's happening inside. If anything else comes up, I can help you."
The white lanterns floated higher and higher, gradually disappearing into the clouds.
Feng Ting didn't care where they would end up, or whether they would cause a massacre in some town.
All he knew was that he would soon see his daughter.
Mak Ho-lai took a metal cigarette case from his trench coat pocket, drew out a cigarette, and offered it to Feng Ting. Then he raised his right hand and drew a circle in the air.
"Don't worry. I'm ordering the snipers to stand down."
"Right."
The two police officers walked slowly forward.
"Sir, if those lanterns come back while we're right in the middle of the sports field..."
"Then you and I get flags draped over us, bagpipes played, and speeches from our superiors, while our children get a hefty death benefit."
Mak Ho-lai spoke casually. "Relax, Sir Feng. Have you ever considered working for the Emergency Management Department?"
"Wouldn't that... go against the rules?"
"Everything changes. Hong Kong and Kowloon is no exception. The Colonial Department has already designated Hong Kong and Kowloon as a pilot site for colonial reform."
Mak Ho-lai gazed at the white lanterns in the sky, drifting who knew where.
"Interested?"
"I'd have to ask my superior about that. I work under Sir Liu. Besides, my foreign-language skills aren't very good..."
"Liu Hong retires next year. Who will you work under then?"
Mak Ho-lai looked at Feng Ting. "There's an old saying: a man without foresight will soon find trouble at hand."
As they chatted, the two reached the entrance to the teaching building.
Fang Zhijie was also leading Chen Ying and the two girls downstairs.
Strangely enough, along the way, they heard nothing-not The Flower Princess, not the hairy monster, not even Ren Gang, Brother Cheng, and their gang of thugs.
If he hadn't just opened up the Twelve-Storey Tower, Chen Ying might even have suspected it had all been a hallucination.
"How is this possible? Not a sound."
Chen Ying eyed Fang Zhijie's straight-backed figure suspiciously. Could this Chinese-language teacher be a true recluse hidden in plain sight, the real expert concealed within Tongwen Academy?
"Hey, Ying, aren't you going to thank me?"
Wen Xiu came over, hugging her schoolbag, and spoke softly.
"Thank you, my ass."
"Wow, how can you repay kindness with ingratitude? I risked my life to keep your secret. If the school found out you came from Dragon City and had a gang background, they'd definitely expel you."
"You're nuts. Aren't Hua Shanrong and Brother Cheng both gangsters? Why hasn't the school expelled them? I'm actually hoping they'll hurry up and expel me."
"But Dragon City is different. People from there don't even count as people from Hong Kong and Kowloon. And you're not an ordinary gangster, either. You even beat a Red Pole in a fight."
"You know what a Red Pole is?"
"Of course."
Wen Xiu wore an expression that said, I'm so clever. Hurry up and praise me.
"Let me ask you a favor."
"What favor? You're not thinking of..."
"Please don't call me Ying anymore. Mr. Chen or Chen Ying will do."
"Stop chattering back there, you two."
Feng Huimin turned her head from up ahead.
"Have you no shame?"
"While we're at it, let me tell you both something. I'm already married."
Chen Ying felt he should put an end to this idiotic game as soon as possible.
"Right, and I'm married too."
Feng Huimin gave three ha-has. "Not funny at all."
Fucking morons.
Chen Ying fell completely silent.
With Fang Zhijie leading, they soon reached the entrance. Nothing happened along the way, and they happened to see a foreigner and a middle-aged man walking in.
"Zhijie, long time no see."
The middle-aged man waved. "Has Huimin been behaving?"
"Didn't we just see each other yesterday? Why are you so late today? I was just saying I'd take Huimin home. Who's this?"
"Oh, a case came up. This is Officer Mak. We just got off work, so we came over together."
Nothing changed in Feng Ting's expression.
So Feng Huimin's dad is in the Police Force. No wonder she got so worked up when I said I wanted to apply to join the Police Force.
Chen Ying looked at the foreigner beside Feng Ting. The man had been staring at him the whole time.
"And who are these two students?"
Feng Ting greeted them warmly.
"You're always so late. I might as well go home by myself from now on."
Feng Huimin complained.
"This is Chen Ying, and that's Wen Xiu."
"Oh, aren't they your primary school classmates? You've both grown so much! Just as well. Uncle will treat you to ice cream."
Feng Ting looked at Fang Zhijie.
"Zhijie, treating you to ice cream doesn't count as bribery, does it?"
"You ought to treat me to roast suckling pig."
Fang Zhijie smiled. "I'm on duty today. Take the children along. But make sure you take each of them home. It's too late."
"Are you questioning our Hong Kong and Kowloon Police Force's ability to maintain law and order? How can you say that in front of a senior police officer like Officer Mak?"
"Does that even need questioning?"
Chen Ying said nothing. He felt it would be better to wait for them to finish talking, then go straight home.
"Young man, you haven't seen anything strange tonight, have you?"
Mak Ho-lai looked at Chen Ying with a smile.
"The strangest things tonight were getting caught dating by a teacher, then running into a foreign police officer who speaks Chongwen and questions me on my way home from school. Sorry, sir, I'm a little tired. I'd like to go home."
Strange. Where did The Flower Princess and the hairy monster go?
Those Yisheng thugs are good at hiding too. I'll just check the news tomorrow.
Chen Ying stepped forward as he spoke.
"Uncle Feng, thanks for the ice cream, but my granny's waiting for me to come home for soup."
Just as he stepped off the stairs, Chen Ying saw a dark shape plummet from the sky.
Thud.
A huge figure hit the ground, the corpse's eyes wide open and looking straight at Chen Ying.
It was Ren Gang.
Chen Ying looked at his corpse. Ren Gang's face was deathly pale, and a strange trace of a smile lingered at the corners of his mouth.
He looked utterly calm and peaceful.
Feng Ting reached out and pulled Chen Ying back.
"Watch out..."
Thud, thud.
Figures fell from the rooftop like raindrops. They made no sound as they fell, only a dull thud when they hit the ground.
Chen Ying scanned the bodies strewn across the ground. Almost all of Ren Gang's men were here, but Brother Cheng, who had caused this trouble, was not.
"Officer Mak, it looks like we need to seal off the scene as soon as possible."
Feng Ting looked at the bodies on the ground. "This is Ren Gang, a Red Pole from Yisheng. He's been making quite a name for himself lately."
"I'll take charge of the scene. All of you, go home immediately."
Mak Ho-lai took business cards out of his pocket and gave one to each of them.
"This is my card. Come to me if you have any problems."
"Brother Zhijie..."
"Sir Feng, take your daughter home."
Mak Ho-lai said, "I'll send police cars to take you all home."
"Thank you, officer. I'll head back on my own."
Chen Ying declined their kind offer and walked home by himself. He could practice his footwork along the way anyway.
The journey home went smoothly. Just as he was about to enter, he happened to see Wu Jie fiddling with several white lanterns at the foot of the building.
"Are those sky lanterns?"
Chen Ying went over curiously, but under Wu Jie's control, the white lanterns had already entered the small building.
"Yes. You're home, husband."
Wu Jie nodded.
"Today was really strange. So much happened. I'd like you to help me make sense of it."
Chen Ying shook his head.
"But what day is it today? So many people are releasing sky lanterns."
"I don't know. Maybe they're praying for blessings."
Wu Jie smiled.
Chen Ying stretched. "Having magic really is nice. You can even reuse sky lanterns."
Before you continue