Chapter 12.1

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Hongshan Elementary School was located at a T-shaped intersection. There were more than a dozen small restaurants scattered on its south. Jiang Wang idled nearby when he went to pick up the child. He would occasionally eat the food sold there, tasting it clockwise one by one as he wandered through. 

After a while of walking, a cook behind a stall took the initiative to say hello.

“Brother Jiang! The yellow bone fish in the shop today is fresh, come and try it?”

“I already have it scheduled, so don’t be in a hurry.”

Jiang Wang used this street as a canteen to eat. The child had already become tired of following the rows of restaurants for consecutive days, so he simply went home to cook instant noodles with great interest.

The man didn’t care much about this. He continued to compare the taste of the pea noodles with fried sauce noodles.

Aunt Hu’s noodle shop looked small. In it were six tables full of stools that when stacked almost piled up to the ceiling. Business was not generally good even when dinner time came.

After all, throughout the three streets, only her noodles were made with duck egg yolk and wheat flour. At three o’clock in the morning with the night light on, she would blow on it with the wind and shake it dry, ensuring the melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Their beef bone soup was simmered for long periods and let out a strong white milk fragrance. The shallots were boiled in oil and poured out first. This made the taste even more indescribable.

Jiang Wang ordered a few guys to deal with his cross-city business, and came over for noodles half an hour in advance the scheduled time.

Before the stool had even warmed, someone knocked on the window outside.

“What a coincidence.” Ji Linqiu said in greeting. His side profile through the low-definition cobalt blue glass window, actually looked a bit Hong Kong-style and handsome.

Jiang Wang was a little surprised. Seeing Teacher Ji walking in and sitting opposite him, he smiled uncomfortably.

“This shop has an average taste and it’s still early. Would Teacher Ji like to try somewhere else?”

“Just a few days ago you said you would buy me a meal. Today, you’re even reluctant to treat me to beef noodles?” Ji Linqiu’s gaze stayed on his face for a few seconds, as if examining him then laughed. “Don’t worry, just order me a pot of Japanese abalone. Mr. Jiang is forthright and will definitely not refuse me.”

It’s strange but usually on weekdays, there would still be several old customers in the store. They would play cards and chat without eating. But today, the store was almost empty, only two old men sat in a stuffy corner and were eating noodles. A tattered canvas bag was placed next to them.

The boss was not in front of the counter, and the server hurriedly moved to the back kitchen after taking orders, refusing to even come out to pour tea.

Jiang Wang’s eyes changed slightly. He was looking for a way to drive this person out, but a sharp brake sounded outside the door.

It was too late.

Three Alto cars blocked the front and rear passages of the store. More than a dozen young people got out of the cars and poured in. There were also people outside who sealed the door with U-shaped locks.

With a click, all exits were completely blocked.

Ji Linqiu glanced outside the door and poured tea for Jiang Wang himself.

“Mr. Jiang looks like a foreigner. Have you ever drunk the camellia here?” He acted like he didn’t notice the street ruffians who had surrounded them. He took a sip of tea and said, “In our local dialect here the tea is called the three-pig pot. It may sound shabby but in fact, it is made of Taishan Begonia^[1]Begonia flowers growing in Mount Tai., making the aroma very unique.”

Jiang Wang picked up the tea the other person poured, and his eyes became a little more curious.

“Are you not afraid?”

“What should I be afraid of?” Ji Linqiu raised his head and looked around slowly, “Coincidentally, there are actually three students I have taught here.”

“Xia Peng, Feng Zhao Yang, Li Hai, you guys should be in the second and third grades of junior high now, right?”

The three people who were named looked disheveled, and froze unnaturally.

Jiang Wang suddenly realized that Ji Linqiu should’ve approached him on purpose today. The reason hadn’t been clear for him a while ago, so he simply held his breath and looked at the bastards.

There were a total of ten gangsters inside the store. Four high school students, five junior high school students, and the leader who looked no more than 24 years old.

“Jiang Wang, right?” Brother Gangster^[2]社会哥; I’m not sure what to put.. It translates to Gangster brother but it sounds weird so I’ll just put Brother Gangster. He will be named later anyway. took a hit of the Ninety-five Supreme^[3]The author really knows their cigarettes. I think this is the 4th brand?, spraying smoke from his nostrils and mouth like a humidifier, “You are quite capable.”

“A person who dares to f*ck with me.“ He sneered, took another hit and continued to spray smoke from his nostrils. “If you don’t kneel down today and call me Grandpa, don’t think about walking out of this store with your full head and full tail.”

“It’s full beard and full tail.”^[4]completely intact Ji Linqiu quickly corrected, “In Beijing slang, the last two words should be read as yier, you don’t know how to pronounce it, do you?”

Several high school students looked at each other, which made Jiang Wang show a humorous expression.

Brother Gangster who had been embarrassed in public raised his eyebrows in anger and cursed, “Who is this f*ckin’ teacher? Who let a f*ckin’ teacher in?”

The punk in charge of stalking said in a panic, “He came over all of a sudden, I couldn’t do anything.”

“Listen clearly, if you offend this Master Gong, you offend Zhanlong Feitian!” Brother Gangster yelled back, “One more nonsense, and I’ll f*ck you up first!”

Ji Linqiu sat in a relaxed posture, holding his chin and repeating in a playful tone.

“…f*ck, me?”

Jiang Wang suddenly seemed to be tickled in his heart.

Several students couldn’t bear this kind of gaze at all. After holding back for a long time one made a sound to save the scene.

“Brother Gong, he has taught us a few, why don’t you let him go…”

“Yes, Brother Gong, he is an English teacher and doesn’t know anything. It’s really none of his business.”

“This Master is going to operate on the teacher today.” Brother Gong slapped the sharp knife on the table with his backhand, and inserted it horizontally between Jiang Wang and Ji Linqiu, fully intent to fight fiercely.

“Is it great to be a teacher? Is it great to do business?” The hostility in the eyes of the young man became even worse. Brother Gong lifted his leg and stepped directly on the middle of the table with one foot. “Those who dare to rob labor and capital, should be properly dealt with!”

Jiang Wang had planned this for a while now, but the sudden addition of an elementary school teacher in the situation made the atmosphere a bit ridiculous yet wonderful.

Ji Linqiu stood up slowly.

“Master Gong, the leader of Zhanlong Feitian, right?”

As soon as he stood up, several sidekicks next to him became alert.

“Knife game, have you heard of it?”

The young man lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes a little curled.

He seemed to be completely unaware of the danger, and reached out for the sharp knife in Brother Gong’s hand.

“What are you going to do?!”

“I’m warning you!!!”

“Teacher, don’t mess around!!!”

Jiang Wang wanted to stop him but didn’t make a sound, only watching silently with his fingers folded.

Ji Linqiu opened his right hand and flattened it on the table. The bones of the hand used to write chalk characters were distinct, and the edges of the nails were beautifully trimmed.

He snorted in embarrassment, and the sharp knife in his left hand turned neatly.

Without waiting for anyone to react, in the next second, the tip of the knife turned upside down like a falling star. It quickly passed through the gaps between the five fingers and stabbed immediately. The action was so fast that only afterimages were left!

Ji Linqiu glanced at the students, turning the knife in his left hand again like playing with a ballpoint pen. He turned the sharp-edged knife upside down, stabbing all the way from the right side of the pinky finger to the left side of the thumb!

The time that passed before and after the movement were only a few seconds. An entire finger could be destroyed on the spot if he was careless!

Jiang Wang raised the corners of his lips and blew a whistle.

Ji Linqiu stared at Brother Gong and said slowly, “You are their leader.”

“I ask you, do you dare.”

Ji Linqiu’s biting words carried a clear sense of professionalism, so that people in their twenties would feel repentant and trained in front of him.

It was difficult for a person to have two contradictory rays of light at the same time.

Both gentle and pure, but also sharp and arrogant.

Brother Gong’s face turned pale, he wanted to do something but remembered that the knife was in the opponent’s hand, so he instinctively took a step back.

“Don’t retreat.” Jiang Wang said lazily, “The doors are locked, what are you backing up for?”

“You–” Brother Gong motioned to his subordinates to take out both their knives and batons. He thought that if these two people didn’t shed some blood today, they would not be able to maintain the face of the gang.

The students present did not expect him to give such an order, the guys who had some prestige did not dare to point at the teacher.

——If it was only the outsider that came today, they would not hesitate for even a second, and they would be extremely eager to try.

“What are you doing in a daze? Go on!!” Brother Gong roared, “Are you discouraged? Did this Master raise you to simply eat rice?!!”

Jiang Wang raised his hand to signal a pause.

“That… wait a minute.”

Everyone turned their heads together.

The man took out the hand-cranked foldable chainsaw from his mountaineering bag. He unfolded it to nearly a meter and a half long, and pulled it twice with a kind expression.

The sound of a crazy motor that could cut through the skull rang throughout Aunt Hu’s noodle shop.

Brother Gong’s  eyes shook as he looked at the chainsaw, and before the others could react, he rushed to the door and hammered it desperately.

“Unlock it, unlock it!!! I won’t fight anymore! Let me out, crap!”

“Open the door! Anyone!”

Ji Linqiu sat next to him and watched Jiang Wang play with the chainsaw. He commented as he took a sip of the tea, “You came early and prepared?”

“The crystallization of wisdom in the industrial age.” Jiang Wang sincerely admired, “Who would want to fight hand-to-hand with this thing?”

Several junior high school students and their classmates had already hidden in the corner with their knives. They couldn’t run away or beat them, so they sat holding back their tears with a miserable face.

The eldest brother of the gang was still smashing the door with his fists. Many people outside had become curious and started pointing their fingers.

“Just a few them?”

“Yeah, I heard that they haven’t even finished junior high school. Yet they dare hold a knife against the teacher?”

“Tsk tsk tsk, the children now really. The authorities have to take care of them…”

Jiang Wang acted as if he was playing with a big motor. The entire noodle restaurant was shrouded in the classic sound effects of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Brother Gong screamed directly, “I won’t fight anymore, I won’t fight anymore!! I’ll surrender! I’ll turn myself in!”

“Help! Ahhh!!! Save me!”

Jiang Wang reached out and turned off the chainsaw. He knocked on the table and said, “Stand in twos and line up neatly. ”

“The one at the door, come here and stand in line.”

The eldest brother of the gang was almost scared into peeing. He shivered by the door and was unable to stand up.

Ji Linqiu picked up the chainsaw curiously.

Brother Gong scrambled as he crawled closer and stood up. He kept whining and crying while awaiting punishment. He had never suffered such grievances.

“All right, Uncle Chen, you used to torture people, right?” Jiang Wang turned his head and said.

The old man in the corner of the noodle shop who hadn’t finished eating the noodles yet, wiped his mouth and opened the canvas bag in front of everyone.

It was full of bright silver handcuffs.

More than a dozen people lined up in handcuffs and received police education at the same time. Jiang Wang stood by the door, squinted his eyes and took out a smoke.

“It’s almost time,” Ji Linqiu tucked his scattered hair behind his ears, “I’ll go back to Xingwang for class.”

“Did he tell you about this today?” Jiang Wang smiled dumbfounded, “Children really know how to make up ideas.”

“No, I just happened to be around and wanted to join in on the fun.” Ji Linqiu smiled softly, turned around and went to leave.

“Wait a minute.”

Jiang Wang stopped him and made a gesture of the knife game.

“This thing, even I, dare not do it easily. How can you do this?”

Ji Linqiu let out a sigh. He put one hand in his pocket and laughed, the white jade pendant on his wrist flickered.

“While I was in the mountains teaching, there weren’t even any magazines. It was very boring.”

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TL NOTE:

OMG I’m in love. Teacher Ji you’re so cool!!!
Σ>―(〃°ω°〃)♡→
The knife game should be purely done by professionals!!! Please do not try at home! 

PSA:
Splitting some chapters since chapter-length has become irregular. I try to limit chapters to 3k characters, cause when I see the document is too long I lose all motivation…
(〃ー〃) Anyway, thank you for reading!

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