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Chapter 2: A Difficult Decision

  Chapter 2: A Difficult Decision

  Two sports cars whizzed away, and about ten minutes later, Nie Zhenbang slowly got up. At this moment, taking a closer look, Nie Zhenbang's left foot was indeed slightly less agile than his right foot, being stiffly shorter by a small section.

  The beating just now seemed to have no effect on Nie Zhenbang. Nie Zhenbang had been practicing martial arts since he was a child, and for the past twenty years, he had always been the target of ridicule and humiliation by the young masters of the wealthy families in the capital. Such beatings were nothing new to him. The Young Master of the Nie family, haha, this title, Nie Zhenbang knew very well that it was just a joke. As the illegitimate son of the Nie family, who had not been acknowledged by Old Man Nie even on his deathbed, what qualifications did he have to be called the young master?

  Nie Zhenbang also became a big joke in the entire imperial capital's prince circle. In the past, when the old master was alive, no matter what, one had to look at the master when beating a dog. However, after the old master passed away, even small families that were not even worthy of farting in front of the Nie family could now run wild in front of Nie Zhenbang. As a result, finding pleasure in bullying and humiliating the young masters of other aristocratic families became a hobby for many imperial capital's aristocratic sons.

  He had experienced the warmth and coldness of human relationships, the ups and downs of life. Nie Zhenbang even thought that if it weren't for the car accident twenty-four years ago, he might have a happy family now, with children playing around him. Although without power or influence, he would still be content. This was what was meant by the "power" of the Nie family. Nie Zhenbang had not enjoyed any of this; all he got were painful memories. But if he really had the chance to start over again, how would he choose? Nie Zhenbang didn't know either.

  Yang Anna, this is a name that Nie Zhenbang does not want to recall. Yang Anna, also known as Yang Zhi's younger sister-in-law. The four siblings of the Yang family: eldest brother Yang Anguo, second brother Yang Anbang, third brother Yang Anjun, and youngest sister Yang Anna. Anna was the only daughter of the Yang family, a precious gem in their palms, deeply loved by Old Master Yang. However, Yang Anna had set her sights on the disabled son of the Nie family.

  "Zhen Bang gege, I'll definitely marry you when I grow up!"

  "Zhen Bang, I don't care. I just want to be with you. Your leg was crippled because of me. I cannot ignore you. My grandfather said so. The Yang family doesn't need to sacrifice my happiness for power. If the three Yang brothers can't support the Yang family, then that's just the fate of the Yang family."

  "Zhenbang, drink a little less. Don't you still refuse to accept me? I said, I love the person you are, not just your gratitude."

  Yang Anna's words echoed in Nie Zhenbang's mind. Yang Anna, the little girl he rescued from a car accident back then. Nie Zhenbang was sixteen years old at that time. Yang Anna was thirteen years old.

  It can't go on like this, Nie Zhenbang straightened his body, although he had been drinking for many years and looked a bit hunched over. The kung fu of Xingyiquan had long been abandoned. Although he was a little unbalanced due to his disability, at this moment, Nie Zhenbang stood up straight with force. The Nie family has the pride of the Nie family.

  Death may be a kind of liberation. It's also the life of this generation. Nie Zhenbang clenched his fists and stumbled towards his own nest.

  The next day, Nie Zhenbang got up early, which was the earliest he had gotten up in twenty years. He put on a Salvatore Ferragamo suit that Yang Anna had bought for him, a top luxury menswear brand in the world. The style was very low-key, serious and simple.

  But at this moment, wearing on Nie Zhenbang's body, matching Nie Zhenbang's height of one meter eight, it looks very fit. Although Nie Zhenbang has achieved nothing in his life. However, people with power and influence have more contact. At this time, Nie Zhenbang has a kind of superior temperament.

  On the table, an old Nokia 5110 mobile phone, in this era of smartphones and 3G phones. A single-screen phone like a stick. Very antique. This was given to him by Yang Anna, at that time, it was the first one in Beijing, a very precious gift.

  He dialed a number and, due to prolonged drinking, Nie Zhenbang's voice sounded somewhat hoarse: "Little sister? It's me."

  Nie Zhenbang's younger sister, Nie Ziyu, was named after the phrase "zi yu" from Zhuangzi's "Autumn Floods". The name was chosen by their grandfather. It simply means that he hoped all the girls in the Nie family would be happy and joyful. In the Nie family, starting from the generation of the old master, there were two sons and two daughters in Nie Zhenbang's father's generation. Nie Zhenbang's uncle, Nie Guotong, who was the eldest son of the old master, had two sons, while Nie Zhenbang's father, Nie Guowei, only had one daughter, Nie Ziyu. The old master had a strong military aura and the power of the Nie family did not need to be maintained by women.

  "What do you want from me? Do you want money to drink? Sorry, I'm not a charity, and I don't have the obligation to raise a waste like you. It's because of you that the entire Nie family has fallen to such a state." Nie Ziyu's tone was very unpleasant.

  Nie Zhenbang didn't mind, as the saying goes, "Love is deep, hatred is sharp". In fact, Nie Ziyu and his mother Ye Shuyan were both very good to him. It can be said that they showed great care. However, from initial hope to final disappointment, Nie Ziyu hoped to use this method to stimulate Nie Zhenbang's motivation. Unfortunately, it seemed to have no effect.

  Nie Zhenbang smiled wryly, thinking that everything was his fault as the elder brother. Originally, Old Master Nie had hoped that all the girls in the Nie family could live freely and happily, but reality had forced Nie Ziyu to marry someone she didn't want to. Everything was for the sake of the Nie family, to maintain their position in the capital city. That's all. It's easy to imagine that Nie Ziyu's life wasn't happy. The person from the Chen family had a bad reputation outside.

  "Zi Yu, don't hang up the phone yet. I want to use the car. I want to go take a look at Jing Cheng University. After all, it's my alma mater. I studied here for four years and didn't even get a graduation certificate in the end, this is one of my regrets. Zi Yu, consider this the last favor I'm asking of you." Nie Zhenbang said in a low voice.

  Nothing is more sorrowful than a dead heart. At that time, Nie Zhenbang's grades were not good enough to be considered excellent, but he could still graduate without any issues. However, after the decline of the Nie family, Nie Zhenbang became the target of everyone's criticism and blame. His stepmother, Ye Shuyan, was even injured while trying to protect him. He was only one month away from receiving his graduation certificate. But at that time, when Nie Zhenbang's father heard about Ye Shuyan's injury, he was furious and forced Nie Zhenbang to drop out of school. At this moment, Nie Zhenbang had already prepared himself for the worst, so everything else seemed insignificant. Whether it was begging or pleading, let him be.

  The person opposite fell silent for a moment, and Nie Ziyu still couldn't bring himself to be ruthless: "Ten minutes later, the car will come pick you up."

  He hung up the phone, and Nie Zhenbang dialed Yang Anna's number again. As soon as it connected, a very pleasant female voice came on: "Zhenbang, why are you willing to call me today?"

  The tone of her words revealed a hint of delight, which made Nie Zhenbang somewhat headache. He fell silent for a moment before saying: "Anna, don't be like this. I'm a useless person, and on top of that, I'm an illegitimate child with a low social status. I'm not worthy of you, do you think it's worth it?"

  Yang Anna at this moment, is like a neurotic woman, doesn't care about anything. On the phone, she shouted loudly: "Zhenbang, don't say that. I'm worth it, I'm really worth it. This lifetime, I only recognize you. I Yang Anna, born for you, dead as your ghost. Even if I have to wait until I'm old and grey."

  He let out a sigh, and Nie Zhenbang didn't know what to say anymore. Was Yang Anna's attitude one of repaying kindness or true feelings? Even Nie Zhenbang himself didn't know. Because for so many years, he had always been avoiding it. When facing Yang Anna, Nie Zhenbang felt a sense of guilt. Such a beautiful and lively young girl should have had her own life and bright future, but someone like him was not worthy of it. Yet, from the time she was a young girl until now, nearly twenty years had passed, and Yang Anna had persisted firmly all along.

  The fallen flowers have a heart, but it's not that the flowing water is ruthless, it's just that I dare not be emotional. Nie Zhenbang immediately said: "Anna, take good care of yourself, and in the future, find a good man to marry. I will be happy for you."

  After finishing, he didn't care about Yang Anna's loud shouting on the phone at all. Nie Zhenbang hung up the phone very decisively and put his mobile phone on his bedside table, which was the most important position in Nie Zhenbang's opinion.

  The car with the Ministry of Education pass drove smoothly into the university campus. Looking at Weihai Lake outside the window, Nie Zhenbang said to the driver in front: "Stop the car, you can go back. I'll take a walk around by myself."

  The driver nodded, but didn't speak. He also knew the identity of this person in front of him. Even if he had fallen on hard times, it wasn't something that a ordinary driver like himself could afford to trifle with. A lean camel is bigger than a horse.

  Along the winding path by the side of Weiming Lake, Nie Zhenbang walked with great difficulty. To be honest, this was not a good place to commit suicide. The buildings at Peking University were not high-rise, and most teaching buildings were below five stories. Because the height of university buildings in Beijing had to be controlled under the Boya Tower, which was the symbol of Peking University. Jumping from a building would make it hard to die. Jumping into the lake? Probably as soon as he went down, students from the school would rush into the water, and there were always brave and righteous classmates in such places.

  As far as the eye can see, the Bo Ya Pagoda is reflected in the Weiyang Lake. Nie Zhenbang walked towards it with a limp. The Bo Ya Pagoda, located on a small hill southeast of Weiyang Lake, was originally designed and built as a water tower. There is a spiral staircase leading directly to the top of the pagoda.

  Now, the function of the water tower has gradually disappeared. The Bo Ya Tower has become a symbol of the University of Beijing, standing under the tower, Nie Zhenbang seems to have felt the day 24 years ago, when he first reported, came in search of fame, standing under the Bo Ya Tower, full of vigor and vitality, pointing at the mountains and rivers, stirring up words; it has a kind of feeling of being a lord of ten thousand households.

  But twenty-four years later, he became a drunkard with a prestigious status, but far inferior to ordinary people. The world is changing, and people's encounters are nothing more than that. Having seen too much of the struggles in politics, Nie Zhenbang's face revealed a strange smile. If it happens again, would he still choose to save her? That woman who, for reasons unknown, whether it was to repay kindness or something else, has been stubbornly holding on until now.

  The tower gate was tightly locked. How to get up, however, was a problem. But this seemed not to be difficult for Nie Zhenbang. In the past, he had also climbed up and was dragged down by the watchman from the tower, almost being reported to the school. This time, although he was disabled, Nie Zhenbang still managed to sneak up from somewhere.

  Along the spiral staircase, step by step, very firmly, all the way to the top floor, the entire University of Beijing is in sight. Gazing into the distance. Facing Zhongnanhai, where I used to live for more than five years, since my grandfather passed away, our family moved out from there.

  "Farewell, world. Farewell, Anna. If there's an afterlife, I won't live such a miserable life." Nie Zhenbang muttered to himself, bidding his final farewell to this world.

  "Hey! Who are you? How did you get up here? Get down quickly!" A security guard of about fifty years old rushed up from downstairs.

  Twenty-four years have passed, and the young man from back then has also become a middle-aged person. Decades have passed like a single day, guarding the spiritual symbol of the entire University of Beijing. Nie Zhenbang also had a kind of admiration for the security guard. He smiled and said: "Teacher Qin, do you still remember twenty-four years ago? It was also here that you took down a new student who had just reported for duty."

  The security guard was taken aback, as a formal school staff member, the students used to call him "teacher", which was already twenty years ago. Nowadays, the students all call him "security guard" or, if being polite, "master". After thinking for a moment, the security guard also remembered and smiled: "It's you, how come you're still doing this at your age? You're setting a bad example for these younger students."

  Nie Zhenbang also smiled, looking into the distance: "Teacher Qin, let's just be bad for once. It's been so many years. The recklessness of youth is long gone. You and I have both entered middle age. Today, just let me indulge this one time."

  At the top, there was only a low railing. Nie Zhenbang, although disabled, still had the foundation of Xingyiquan, and his hands were enough to overcome this obstacle. Just as the security guard was stunned, Nie Zhenbang had already jumped over. Haha laughed loudly, and jumped down without hesitation.

  The moment he landed, Nie Zhenbang only felt the sky spinning and the earth turning. At this moment, Nie Zhenbang didn't even know that his brain had burst open, and fresh blood stained the dragon-shaped jade pendant hanging from his neck.

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