NOVPUBAt the beginning of July, Zhang Chaoqun smoothly returned from the party school to take up his new appointment.
Not long after, a vigorous special operation called "Purify the Campus Environment, Prevent Juvenile Crime" swept through Hong Kong.
Countless ghost fire youths, who had successfully transitioned or were about to complete their transitions, had their summer vacation interrupted even before it officially started. They were taken to the police station by fully armed officers who stormed into the schools during the closing ceremonies.
Many delinquent teens, who were arm in arm, casually discussing where to go for street racing and girl-chasing after the holidays, found themselves handcuffed in the next moment, being shoved into police cars by the detectives.
Yet, there was no hint of panic on their faces; the ghost fire youths thought this time would be just like before—phone their parents, get a lecture, and then they could leave.
In their circle, such experiences were rather prestigious, so far from being panicked, they puffed up their chests, imagining how they would boast about the ordeal to their peers once they got out.
Unfortunately, these youths with a weak legal consciousness didn’t understand the difference between civil police and detectives, and they certainly didn’t expect to make it onto the permanent payroll after this incident.
The ghost fire army was wiped out overnight, and the streets of Li City no longer bore the sight of modified motorcycles driving against traffic or the annoying noise of their engines.
Although this result was caused by Xu Qingfan’s casual suggestion, as the person involved, he had to wait until the end of August to see the related news report and realize what had happened.
As soon as his birthday was over, June also came to an end.
Wu Lingyu returned to Hong Kong, and Xiao Ruawen joined the military training summer camp where her father was stationed.
The summer of 2008 was the most unforgettable vacation Xu Qingfan had ever had, although he didn’t think so at the time.
But in his previous life, whenever he was working late in the laboratory, he would always recall that summer.
The buzzing of the old-fashioned fan, Xu Song’s and Hou Xian’s songs playing on repeat in his music list, the keyboards and mice in the dark internet cafes greasy from spicy strips, and game after game of playing "QQ Speed."
In the end, he would just shake his head with a wry smile and say, "Back then, it all seemed so normal."
People can never empathize with their younger selves, and vice versa; at least, Xu Qingfan was genuinely bored now, this boring and long summer vacation was for someone else to endure!
"Played games all day, aren’t you tired?" Xu Qingfan nudged Xia Xiaoxiao, who was sitting in his bedroom playing on the computer.
"Stop bothering me, I’m busy!" Xia Xiaoxiao responded without turning her head, busy with her game.
It wasn’t until after she crossed the finish line that the girl paused, turned her head, and asked Xu Qingfan, "What is it?"
"Go out and have some fun, what’s the point of playing games all the time!" Xu Qingfan really couldn’t understand where the Xia Xiaoxiao from his past life, who would bury her head in books and attend tutorial classes during vacations, had gone, and how he had turned a perfectly good academic prodigy into a gaming addict.
Xia Xiaoxiao looked up at the window, and at three in the afternoon, it was the hottest time of the day, just as the books said, "Feet steam on the scorching soil, back burns under the blazing sun."
"Not going, it’s deadly hot outside. Can’t you just stay quietly inside and play games?" Xia Xiaoxiao pointed to the computer beside him.
Since the girl always liked to surf the internet in his room, Xu Qingfan had reluctantly bought another laptop, although Xia Xiaoxiao also had a computer at home.
"Playing QQ Speed all day is so boring, aren’t you bored?" Xu Qingfan closed his game tab and turned to ask Xia Xiaoxiao.
The girl stretched and retorted, "Why would I be bored?"
"Alright then...you continue, I’ll go downstairs to walk around." Xu Qingfan shrugged and got up to leave the room.
"Don’t go scaring the dog downstairs, you lowlife!" Xia Xiaoxiao started another game and shouted from the room.
Xu Qingfan rolled his eyes speechlessly, thinking, am I really like that!
He took a can of chilled coke from the fridge, took a hearty sip, and then headed downstairs.
Downstairs, several dogs were indeed napping under a tree.
"It’s past three, still sleepy? Let’s have some tea!" Xu Qingfan crouched down and tapped the red water scoop the dogs drank from, and thinking Xu Qingfan was here to feed them, the dogs lazily got up and ran over.
He poured half of his barely touched coke into it, "Drink up, this is tasty."
After pouring, he realized that coke contains caffeine, which dogs can’t digest, and quickly pushed their heads away, "Drink drink drink, willing to drink anything, it will kill you, it’s poisonous, don’t you know!"
After dumping the coke into the drain, he refilled the scoop with tap water, patted his hands, and left Lianhua Courtyard, leaving the dogs with bewildered expressions.
Dogs: who understands family...
Lin Wanning and Zhang Yiyi had arranged to take painting lessons together during the vacation, and they were probably still in class at this time.
With nowhere else he wanted to go, Xu Qingfan wandered aimlessly through the streets, eventually making his way to the Zengjiang River.
He had many memories associated with this place; opposite the riverbank’s water police was a dark internet cafe where he had spent a large part of his summer vacation after elementary school graduation in his previous life.
The net fee was three yuan per hour, and back then, not being wealthy, he usually could only play for an hour or two, then he would spend the rest of the time standing behind others, watching them play games.
