80: 80. People in the Urban Village

The second half of the gathering was KTV, which for young people, was definitely a must-go place, but Lu Feng didn't really want to go, so he said goodbye to everyone in advance and went back.

Everyone looked at him with some reluctance, wondering if they would ever have a chance to see this legendary classmate again.

Perhaps, next time they met, they wouldn't be able to be as relaxed as they were today.

Lu Feng walked down the street, yawning. He had drunk a bit tonight, so he needed to clear his head and let the alcohol dissipate.

Tomorrow, he had to go back to Xinghai City to get his admission letter, and then it would be university life.

This could be said to be Lu Feng's most fulfilling summer vacation, even more fantastical than a TV series.

He picked up a business genius, dabbled in antique collecting, and went in and out of the stock market and real estate market seven times... Before the holiday was even over, he was already a small tycoon with thirty billion.

"Thirty billion..."

Lu Feng chuckled. This number was enough to make most people give up their studies, but for him, university was just a side quest in the game of life that was worth experiencing.

Just then, a red car driving by on the roadside suddenly braked sharply, and two honks of "beep beep—" interrupted his thoughts.

Lu Feng looked over in the direction of the sound and saw the driver's side window slowly roll down, revealing Wang Yuxi's face, mostly hidden by sunglasses.

"Little Lu-didi, it really is you," Wang Yuxi pushed down her driving glasses and greeted him with a smile.

Lu Feng raised an eyebrow, then smiled and said, "Sister Yuxi, what a coincidence."

He actually didn't want to get too close to this woman. Wasn't it good enough for them to be nodding acquaintances as neighbors?

Apparently, Wang Yuxi didn't think so. She said excitedly, "You've been drinking, did you have a party tonight? Come on, why don't you join me for another drink?"

Lu Feng subtly took a step back and politely said, "No, Sister Yuxi, I still have things to do."

Wang Yuxi casually opened the car door and said, "Then let me give you a ride, that's fine, right? Where do you need to go?"

With his refusal fruitless, Lu Feng could only get into the car and casually said, "To Erlin Village."

Wang Yuxi raised an eyebrow. Erlin Village was a mixed-up shantytown, which didn't quite fit her imagined itinerary for "Young Master Lu."

"Why are you going to that place?" Wang Yuxi asked curiously.

Lu Feng shrugged, "Meeting a friend. Sister Yuxi, do you want to come along?"

Wang Yuxi shook her head. There were too many people in that place, and it wouldn't be good for her as an artist to appear there, fearing harassment. Of course, she was also worried about tomorrow's headlines reporting wildly.

When the car stopped at the entrance of the urban village, Lu Feng noticed a delicate box of macarons on the back seat. He smiled and said, "Sister Yuxi, can I have this?"

"Take it~"

"Thank you, Sister Yuxi."

Lu Feng picked up the dessert, opened the door, and got out. Wang Yuxi blinked and said, "Then I'll head back first. I'll be waiting for you tonight~"

Again, some ambiguous words, and Lu Feng didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

After waving goodbye, he then walked towards the urban village. This area was in the old development zone, and at that time, there was no concept of planning, so self-built houses grew wildly.

The distance between the buildings here was very small, making it difficult to see sunlight even during the day.

Lu Feng weaved through it, carefully avoiding the flowing sewage on the ground. Beside the putrid garbage heaps, several stray cats watched him warily.

"It seems to be here."

In front of him was an open space in the urban village, but now many tin houses had been built, mainly rented out at low prices to migrant workers. Although cheap, they were incredibly dilapidated, crowded, and noisy, like a chaotic maze.

As Lu Feng walked past, he could even see a few 'abalone' merchants winking at him.

"Handsome, come in for a chat?"

Lu Feng ignored them and instead went to the door of one of the relatively neat tin houses, reaching out to knock.

"Thump, thump, thump."

The crisp knocking sound was particularly clear in the midst.

With a creak, the door opened a crack, and a bloodshot eye peered through the door chain, sizing up the visitor.

"Get lost. I'm not buying insurance." His voice was deep and hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing.

Lu Feng didn't move, smiling, "Five years ago, Golden Triangle, Operation Hunter's Wind."

The door was yanked open!

A tall, tower-like figure loomed over him. The man had a centipede-like scar on his left cheek, and half of a finger was missing from his right hand. His aura was terrifying at this moment, his eyes fixed on Lu Feng, like a wild beast ready to pounce.

"Who are you?"

Just then, rain suddenly began to fall from the sky, pattering on the tin house. Lu Feng looked up at the man, who was more than half a head taller than him, and shook the gift box in his hand: "Someone here to deliver money to your comrade-in-arms' family. Aren't you going to invite me in for a seat?"

Silence spread amidst the sound of the rain. Finally, the man stepped aside, making way.

Lu Feng walked in naturally. The tin house was less than ten square meters, with only a camp bed. The walls were covered with photos, one of which showed five young people in camouflage uniforms, laughing with their arms around each other, with a tropical rainforest in the background.

The edges of the photo were already yellowed and curled, as if they had been repeatedly caressed.

Lu Feng placed the box on the table and smiled, "I usually bring something when I visit, but this time there was an accident, so I only have this. You don't mind, do you, Tian Peng?"

Last time he brought Yu Tianxiong pig trotters and rice, but this time he was disrupted by Wang Yuxi, so he only had this box of desserts.

Tian Peng didn't look at the exquisite gift box, which resembled a work of art, but stared at the young man in front of him.

He was very ordinary, like a student from next door. He didn't understand why such a student would know about his affairs.

He was waiting for Lu Feng to speak; he needed an explanation.

Lu Feng looked at the photos on the wall, shook his head, and sighed, "Team Leader Chen, A-Wei, Da-Bin, Xiao-Kai, you still can't let go, can you? It's been so many years, and you're still working so hard every month to send money to their families?"

Tian Peng's pupils moved, and his tone was very calm: "I should have died there with them. It's because of their sacrifice that I'm still alive. As long as I live, I can't let go."

Lu Feng picked up the tattered ledger by the bed. The handwriting on it was messy, densely filled with remittance records.

Wang Xiaohua (Team Leader Chen's widow) — 3000 / month

Li Cuiwen (Xiao Kai's mother) — 2500 / month

Zhou Hui (Da Bin's younger sister) — 2000 / month

...This ledger was very thick, basically full, and heavy in his hand, its weight self-evident.

There were also several pay stubsfolder in the ledger: security guard, monthly salary 4500 yuan... Besides that, there were several other jobs, clearly working multiple positions.

"Isn't there a pension?"

Tian Peng's Adam's apple bobbed, and he said hoarsely, "That money... isn't enough to buy their lives."