Chapter 43: The Hooligans

So, the first to appear before Jiang Pan Yu and Tan Yanlu were naturally the Educated Youths.

Upon hearing Tan Yanlu’s cry for help, the faces of those hooligans immediately changed.

There was immediate commotion outside the woods, accompanied by the shouts of the Educated Youths.

The Lai Brothers glared fiercely at Tan Yanlu and tried to turn and run.

But before they could take two steps, they were surrounded by the Educated Youths and subdued in a few moves.

Several of them were knocked to the ground and given a thorough beating by the Educated Youths. By the time Gao Shaolin arrived, the three hooligans had already been dealt with, and the hero-saving-the-damsel scene had long since ended.

In the original incident, the hooligans had groped Tan Yanlu, tearing one of her sleeves, which prompted her to cry out for help. Then, Gao Shaolin descended from the heavens to save the damsel, but the hooligans managed to escape.

This left Gao Shaolin and Tan Yanlu alone together. Upon learning that Tan Yanlu was heading to town to mail a letter, Gao Shaolin decided to see the good deed through, first taking her to town by bike before returning home.

But because Tan Yanlu’s sleeve was torn, Gao Shaolin took her back to his workplace, which later led to the argument between Gao Lin and Gao’s Sister-in-law.

However, now, because the Educated Youths were numerous and powerful, the Lai Brothers were caught before they could commit any hooliganism.

Tan Yanlu was now calm and rational, her focus entirely on the hooligans, completely unaware of Gao Shaolin’s arrival.

Gao Shaolin, witnessing the scene, was momentarily at a loss. Something seemed off; this wasn’t how things were supposed to unfold.

It seemed like he should have been the one to step in and save the day, but now it appeared he wasn’t needed.

Gao Shaolin felt as though he had lost something important, an inexplicable sense of panic that things were slipping out of control.

He stood there, momentarily stunned, unsure of what to do next. But who had time to pay attention to him now?

The Lai Brothers, after being thoroughly beaten by the Educated Youths, had calmed down.

At this point, everyone was too preoccupied to head to town, instead shouting about taking the hooligans back to the village to be dealt with by the Brigade leader.

The hooligans’ faces turned pale. In those days, being labeled as a hooligan was no small matter.

They could be tied up and paraded through the streets, with every villager, young and old, giving them a head-flick. One flick per person, and by the end, their heads would be swollen.

This was the village’s way of handling things, not making too big a fuss, but their reputations would be ruined, and they’d be spat on wherever they went.

If they were handed over to the commune, it wouldn’t just be a matter of head-flicks. If they were charged with hooliganism, they could be executed by firearm.

The hooligans were terrified, struggling to escape, pleading for mercy.

But who would listen to them? Tan Yanlu was adamant that they pay the price, and in the end, the Lai Brothers were marched back by the Educated Youths.

As everyone prepared to leave, they noticed Gao Shaolin still standing there.

Seeing everyone about to leave, he followed along. When people looked at him in confusion, he explained, “Well, I was just heading back anyway, so I might as well be a witness for you.”

When Gao Shaolin spoke up, the Educated Youth subconsciously regarded him as “one of their own,” and their impression of him improved significantly.

As the group walked back, Gao Shaolin was still looking for an opportunity to talk to Tan Yanlu.

However, Tan Yanlu kept her head slightly lowered the entire time, occasionally exchanging a few words with Jiang Pan Yu, but never once glancing at Gao Shaolin.

Unable to find an opening, Gao Shaolin felt a sense of loss, which instead fueled a stubborn determination in him. He thought to himself that if there was no opportunity, he would create one. In any case, he was determined to make Tan Yanlu see him in a different light.

As for Tan Yanlu, she was currently filled with doubts. Walking hand in hand with Jiang Pan Yu, her mind was unusually clear.

No protagonist’s halo or plot influence could sway her thoughts. With her intelligence at its normal level, Tan Yanlu was preoccupied with her earlier behavior.

It was just too strange. She knew her own personality well—she was definitely not someone who could be easily manipulated. So why had she suddenly become so “helpless” when faced with a few hooligans today?

Tan Yanlu couldn’t help but wonder: if there hadn’t been so many people around today, would Gao Shaolin have been the only one to appear and rescue her?

This line of thought led her to recall how, after her last incident of signing up for the rural assignment and nearly drowning, Gao Shaolin had appeared by her side, and she had inexplicably developed a certain fondness for him.

Although Tan Yanlu suspected that she might have developed a “rescuer complex” after being saved, something still felt off. She just couldn’t find a more suitable explanation.

Later, when she mentioned wanting to thank those who had helped her, she had only brought up Gao Shaolin.

Fortunately, Jiang Pan Yu had been by her side to remind her, preventing her from doing something foolish.

So, this time, when those hooligans had come to harass her, was Gao Shaolin secretly behind it?

If not, that was fine. But if he really was, what was his motive?

Could it really be for the secret she was hiding? And how did Gao Shaolin even know about it?

This Gao Shaolin was truly sinister and terrifying. Tan Yanlu gave him a guarded glance, her heart filled with caution.

At this moment, Gao Shaolin was unaware that Tan Yanlu had indeed started to see him in a different light.

However, this “different light” meant that she had added him to her blacklist. It seemed Gao Shaolin would never have a chance to redeem himself in her eyes.

Feeling conflicted, Tan Yanlu distanced herself further from Gao Shaolin, instinctively moving closer to Jiang Pan Yu, where she felt a greater sense of security.

Moreover, after getting closer to Jiang Pan Yu, the incessant voice in her head urging her to be with Gao Shaolin grew quieter, and the pain in her heart from resisting him also lessened.

By the time the group escorted the hooligans to the brigade office, it was already quite late.

Several cadres were present in the office, and everyone took turns explaining the situation, with Gao Shaolin’s testimony added to the mix.

The Lai Brothers had no choice but to admit that they had harassed Tan Yanlu.

The Brigade leader had no fondness for these hooligans either. They were already known for being lazy and deceitful, and now they dared to harass female comrades.

Fortunately, nothing major had happened, or else his position as Brigade leader would have been in jeopardy.

Tan Yanlu was now preoccupied with her own thoughts, her demeanor less aggressive than before. She didn’t even care how the village would handle the hooligans, leaving it entirely up to the brigade leader to decide.

After discussing the matter, the village cadres decided to send the hooligans to work on road construction. They would only be allowed to return once they had earned a hundred work points.

Tan Yanlu had no objections to this decision, and so the matter was settled.

Gao Shaolin had acted as a witness, and Tan Yanlu, after some thought, stepped forward to thank him.

Gao Shaolin was delighted that Tan Yanlu had initiated a conversation with him and was eager to continue chatting. However, Tan Yanlu quickly excused herself, citing that they still had matters to attend to in town, leaving Gao Shaolin with no opportunity to say more.

No matter how much he wanted to speak, the words remained stuck in his throat.

As the group from the educated youth residence set off for town again, Jiang Pan Yu received a notification from the Gossip System: 【Congratulations, host, you have successfully completed this mission. The rewards have been stored in your Personal Space.

Tan Yanlu’s fate progress bar has increased by ten percent, currently at twenty percent. Please continue to work hard and strive to reach one hundred percent!】

Looking at the generous rewards, Jiang Pan Yu couldn’t help but wonder if it was because she had orchestrated stealing Gao Shaolin’s spotlight that the rewards were so substantial.

If that were the case, she would have to carefully strategize next time.