Scum Gong Walks the Career Line in the Crematorium

TL: Moonlit

After learning about Zhou Gao Dan and Zhou Yuntang’s situation, Lin Hanchuan remained silent for a long time.

Being well-informed as he was, he had never come across such a situation before.

After scratching Zhou Yuntang’s face, Zhou Gao Dan worried that taking him to the hospital would raise suspicion. He locked Zhou Yuntang in the room and bought some random medicines based on information he found online. He had no intention of healing Zhou Yuntang; the medicines he bought were merely for stopping bleeding.

Afraid that Zhou Yuntang’s injuries would cause trouble if they were discovered, Zhou Gao Dan dared not go to the hospital either. He only took some medication for his injured leg. Over a month passed, and Zhou Yuntang’s facial wounds started to show signs of healing, but Zhou Gao Dan’s leg remained unimproved. By the time he finally decided to go to the hospital, it was too late.

Zhou Yuntang’s face was covered in gruesome wounds, and Zhou Gao Dan limped with each step he took. He no longer locked Zhou Yuntang in the room because Zhou Yuntang had lost all the courage to leave. Just as Zhou Gao Dan had hoped, Zhou Yuntang would never leave him again.

After the official announcement of the Zhou family’s bankruptcy, the bank repossessed Zhou Gao Dan’s house. With their injuries, disfigurements, and no job prospects, they gradually descended into poverty in a slum, just like Jiang Tian had in the past.

Lin Hanchuan didn’t have much thought about their fate. As an outsider, he had already done all he could for them, asking for help from Zhou Ziming on Zhou Yuntang’s behalf and giving him a chance to escape. Zhou Yuntang didn’t seize that opportunity, and Lin Hanchuan wasn’t willing to invest more energy in them.

They spent over a semester at the Wan family’s place, and they even celebrated a new year together. As the weather turned hotter, the countdown to the college entrance examination finally reached its last day.

In the final few days, the teachers didn’t hold regular classes; instead, they let the students study independently and answered any questions they had. The formerly serious and somber atmosphere became more relaxed.

Each student expressed heartfelt gratitude to their teachers. The mixture of nervousness, confusion, and excitement as they faced this turning point in life was evident on the faces of these almost-adults who stood at the edge of eighteen.

Lin Hanchuan was the most well-liked person in the class, almost like half of the students and teachers. He patiently and meticulously explained any questions they had without getting tired of it. At this time, many students came to him to express their gratitude with gifts.

Most students at Nanping High School came from wealthy families, and their gifts were not cheap. Despite declining several times, the students simply put the gifts into his drawer when he was away.

Whenever Lin Hanchuan left his seat for a while, he would return to find a few valuable items in his drawer. He looked at the gaming console on the table, feeling both amused and exasperated, “I’ve accepted the sneakers and perfume pen, but you dare to play games even before the college entrance exam?”

The classmates were not intimidated by Lin Hanchuan’s words. They all laughed together, “After the college entrance exam, we can play freely. We’re just getting ready for the summer vacation.”

Lin Hanchuan helplessly placed the gaming console on the floor beside his feet. As he glanced down, he noticed a pen pressed underneath it. To his surprise, the pen wasn’t expensive, just around five hundred yuan, which was ordinary compared to the other expensive gifts piled up.

Lian Hanchuan picked up the pen and looked in the direction several rows away. The classmate there smiled calmly, with a composed demeanor and serene gaze, a far cry from his timid and self-deprecating appearance a year ago.

This classmate had once been coerced by Li Yuan to lead Lin Hanchuan to the rooftop. He had experienced bullying and isolation, and when he mustered the courage to approach Lin Hanchuan, who seemed indifferent, Lin Hanchuan pulled him into the crowd.

Tears welled up in the boy’s eyes as he knew that many classmates would part ways after the college entrance exam and might never meet again. However, he would always remember the time when he was at his darkest and most desperate, and he harmed someone else without conscience. But that person extended a helping hand to him.

Five hundred yuan was his monthly living expenses, and it was all he could afford to give. It wasn’t enough to express his gratitude adequately, but he just wanted to show his appreciation in these final moments.

Lin Hanchuan smirked and casually wrote a few words on a notebook with the pen that had no ink, saying, “This pen is a decent gift, and I quite like it. Thank you.”

The boy awkwardly lowered his head, tears falling one by one on the test paper, smudging the words but still smiling at the corners of his mouth.

Wan Li Shuang followed Lin Hanchuan’s gaze and let out a faint hum, deciding not to say anything.

He had never liked how Lin Hanchuan wasted his study time explaining questions to his classmates, especially this boy, who ranked second and had a competitive relationship with Lin Hanchuan. Yet, he was the one who asked questions more frequently than anyone else.

Now that he had given a gift, should I give him something too? Wan Li Shuang pondered and looked at the ordinary pen. At the very least, he had to give him something better than this shabby thing.

All the classmates who deserved gifts had already received them. What else could be meaningful to give? As Wan Li Shuang pondered, he thought of what would happen after the college entrance exam.

As they stepped out of the examination room after the college entrance exam, the intense summer sun sent scorching waves, and all around were students relieved of their burdens, smiling and feeling relaxed. Wan Li Shuang saw Lin Hanchuan waiting for him at the entrance.

He ran over quickly, beaming with a bright smile. “Let’s go home.”

The two of them walked side by side, cross-checking their answers along the way. Wan Li Shuang was pleasantly surprised to find that many of his answers were similar to Lin Hanchuan’s.

The school gate was packed with parents waiting to welcome their children. Wan Li Shuang’s billionaire father and trillionaire mother, like ordinary parents, stood under umbrellas in the scorching sun, eagerly watching the school gate.

Wan Li Shuang jumped and hopped as he ran over, stopped by a reporter on the way, “May I ask how you feel about your exam performance?”

“Very good,” Wan Li Shuang answered confidently, “I have the best home teacher in the world. How could I not do well?”

The reporter’s gaze lingered on Wan Li Shuang’s branded clothes for a few seconds and then asked, “May I know how much your home teacher charges and what credentials he has?”

“He doesn’t charge, it’s free,” Wan Li Shuang boasted, pulling the somewhat helpless Lin Hanchuan close, “He is this year’s top scorer in the college entrance exam.”

“…,” the reporter fell silent for a few seconds before turning to Lin Hanchuan and handing him the microphone, “This future top scorer, what do you think of your friend’s confidence?”

Lin Hanchuan pondered for a moment and replied, “He’s right.”

Amid the reporter’s disarrayed expression, Wan Li Shuang excitedly pulled Lin Hanchuan toward his parents, and the four of them entered the air-conditioned car.

Once this segment was broadcasted, it immediately became a hot topic on the day of the college entrance exam, climbing to the top of the trending searches.

⌈Are high school students this handsome nowadays? Can their classmates concentrate on studying with them around?⌋

⌈Youngsters are just arrogant; we’ll see them eat their words after the results are out.⌋

⌈Just because someone can maintain the first position in school doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll become the college entrance exam top scorer. There are so many excellent schools and strong competitors, the pressure is still immense.⌋

⌈While you all think they’ll be proven wrong, I actually think that their confidence might be justified. Maybe they really have the skills to back it up.⌋

Being unaware of the online buzz, after finishing the exam, Lin Hanchuan was pulled into Lou Weicai’s project to help out. Though it was said to be helping out, it was, in fact, an opportunity for him to continue learning.

Lin Hanchuan found himself even busier than before the college entrance exam.

In the midst of the hustle and bustle, he lost track of when the exam results would be released. It was Wan Li Shuang who reminded him of it, and he then remembered the matter.

Wan Li Shuang had Lin Hanchuan’s information and checked his results on his behalf. He was more nervous than when he checked his own results. When the scores were finally released, to everyone’s surprise, Lin Hanchuan’s score was outrageously high.

In the class group, the second-place holder also achieved an excellent score, but it was still over twenty points lower than Lin Hanchuan’s.

While other college entrance exam top scorers from various regions more or less accepted interviews, Lin Hanchuan seemed elusive, as reporters couldn’t find him at all. It was only thanks to resourceful netizens that the interview video from that time was dug up, revealing Lin Hanchuan’s background once again.

Soon, Lin Hanchuan appeared on the trending searches again.

⌈Back then, the Real vs. Fake Young Master incident caused a sensation, and the entire internet knew about it. Even my parents, who don’t go online, scolded the Zhou family. Now, seeing his results, my parents will be happy for him too.⌋

⌈Zhou Zhengqing even posted on Weibo back then, saying he had poor character and lacked education. He asked for a ‘study-not-good’ label for himself as well.⌋

⌈So, it’s true that what goes around comes around. The heavens are watching. The Real Young Master didn’t do anything wrong but was treated so badly. Through his efforts, the heavens gave him a good result. On the other hand, the Zhou family went bankrupt, and Zhou Zhengqing ended up in a vegetative state, kidnapped by that scum who swapped children… evil begets evil.⌋

⌈There were few photos or videos about the Real Young Master back then, and no one told me. I didn’t know the Real Young Master was this handsome!⌋

⌈I wonder if the Zhou family regrets it now. They treated a gem like plastic and threw it away.⌋

⌈Regret has nothing to do with Jiang Tian. His life is bright, so why bother with those rotten people?⌋

⌈Be bold and move forward, young man. Your future is bright.⌋

Looking at the online comments, Wan Li Shuang picked out a few and read them to Lin Hanchuan in an exaggerated and cheesy tone, “The sharp edge of a sword is forged through grinding, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitterness of the cold. Your good fortune lies ahead…”

Lin Hanchuan helplessly supported Wan Li Shuang, who leaned on him. “Why did you suddenly bring this up?”

“It’s interesting,” Wan Li Shuang justified, “don’t you think these netizens are talented and amusing? Seeing them creatively criticize the Zhou family makes me happy.”

Lin Hanchuan chuckled. He had always known that Wan Li Shuang held a grudge against the Zhou family, but he never expected him to hold it to such an extent.

As they laughed, Wan Li Shuang’s smile gradually faded, revealing a hint of shyness. “Actually, I prepared a gift for you too.”

A gift for the college entrance exam, a gift for adulthood, and… the gift he wanted to ask Lin Hanchuan for.