Chapter 42: Dark Proposals and Lingering Shadows

Su Yingning nearly flung her schoolbag at my face.

“Don’t you dare mention such things again!”

It was true, Su Yingning was still a child, an ordinary seventeen-year-old middle school student, and the concept of crime was far too distant for her.

Naturally, it was I who had grown far too accustomed to it.

Murder—those two words alone were enough to make her soul tremble with terror.

The little girl’s thoughts weren’t wrong; the law was indeed the only means for the weak to protect themselves.

Compared to a behemoth like the school board, we were undeniably the weaker party.

Whether for the bullied students or for me, the only path Su Yingning could conceive of was the law.

“My second method is to personally eliminate them.”

Thud. The schoolbag slammed into my face.

In her desperation, the little girl’s voice was already laced with a sob:

“Big Sis! Are you insane? I don’t want to lose you forever!”

Alright, alright, I know you’re worried about me…

But I truly wouldn’t be so foolish as to get caught!

“Third, we grasp their lifeline… forcing them to apologize.”

“Lifeline?” The little girl tilted her head, her face etched with confusion.

“The victor is justice, do you understand?” I gently ruffled the little girl’s head, only for her to angrily swat my hand away, as was her habit.

“I understand!”

“The means to uphold justice, at times, do not solely rely on the law…”

“I understand!” Su Yingning suddenly exclaimed, cutting me off.

A newfound clarity seemed to wash over her, and a fresh idea sparked in her mind.

“Xiang Ling mentioned before that her entire family’s focus has shifted to [Pursuit II].”

“All we need to do is acquire enough power within the game to threaten them!”

“They will naturally become apprehensive and apologize to us obediently!”

“No,” I stated, my expression serious.

“I meant knocking out Xiang Ling, taking nude photos, sending them to her father, and if they don’t comply, uploading them online.”

Thud.

My face once again made intimate contact with the schoolbag.

“Big Sis, that’s enough of you!”

In the end, we failed to come to any concrete conclusion.

We attended most of our morning classes as usual.

The school was calm and uneventful, and I, as always, slept soundly until lunch break, while Su Yingning continued her diligent studies as a top student.

During the lunch break, I, as usual, went to find Su Yingning for lunch.

Neither of us had many friends at this school.

I, because I spent most of my days sleeping, couldn’t be bothered with the antics of these youngsters.

Su Yingning, on the other hand, was simply too outstanding, always creating an untouchable distance between herself and those around her.

Compounded by her upright character, she had few friends but quite a number of people she had offended.

“I’m sorry… Big Sis… I don’t have much of an appetite today.”

The little girl lay dispiritedly on her desk.

Without a word, I jogged out of the school gates.

I bought some half-baked cheesecake from the pastry shop the little girl often frequented, then jogged back to school.

I found the little girl on the rooftop, still without lunch, gazing up at the sky.

“Big Sis… was I wrong?”

The little girl’s eyes were unfocused, filled with a lost bewilderment that tugged at one’s heartstrings.

“Yes, you were wrong.” I said mercilessly.

Observing the little girl’s increasing despondency, I continued,

“Indeed, skipping lunch was definitely wrong.”

I sat beside her, opened the half-baked cheesecake box, and brought a piece to her lips.

“Open wide, ah—”

Despite my persistence, the little girl remained unresponsive.

“Big Sis… I’ve always remembered how, back then, Mom and Dad were driven to bankruptcy and suicide by the bank.”

“Don’t dwell on the past… think of happier things,” I sighed, tossing the cheesecake into my own mouth.

That year, it had also been my oversight.

I hadn’t anticipated that, through a moment of inattention, my parents—whose business was flourishing in this life—would have their loans maliciously recalled by the bank, leading to instant bankruptcy.

They had kept their lips sealed, fearing our worry, and had never disclosed anything to young Su Yingning and me.

This silence continued until their lawsuit to reclaim their assets proved fruitless.

The reason for their defeat in court was that their own lawyer had been bribed by the bank.

That very night, both of them jumped to their deaths.

It wasn’t until Su Yingning and I saw their mangled bodies that we understood what had happened, but by then, it was tragically too late.

That incident, that night, became Su Yingning’s eternal shadow.

It irrevocably altered the course of her life…

I deeply regretted not paying attention to my parents’ business affairs, but now, that regret was futile.

“From that day on, I’ve always wondered… if only there had been a lawyer with enough integrity, one who hadn’t been bribed by the opposing side, would Mom and Dad have avoided bankruptcy?”

“Would we have a complete family now… and would no one ever call us ‘wild chickens’ again?”