Chapter 6: The Boy Who Knew Lightning

The provincial capital.

As dusk approached, the early spring sun had already lost much of its warmth. A vibrant orange orb hung low on the horizon, resembling…

” ‘It looks like a flatbread!’ ”

Several children squatted by the city gate’s corner wall. One of them, fingers in their mouth, gazed at the sun with a look of pure longing.

” ‘It doesn’t look like a flatbread,’ ” another sturdier boy countered. ” ‘I think it looks like an orange, a big orange. So sweet.’ ”

Upon hearing this, the other children immediately grew curious. They crowded closer, eager to ask what kind of orange it was, how sweet it could be, and what it tasted like.

Huai Province was largely mountainous, and due to its geology and climate, the variety and yield of fruits were scarce. Typically, apples, pears, and hawthorns were the most common, yet their fruits were small, tart, and not particularly palatable.

These past two years had seen poor harvests, leaving even staple grains in short supply. Fruits, in such times, were an absolute luxury.

The children squatting by the wall all came from impoverished families. Their daily meals consisted of watery vegetable gruel, and even those portions were meager. At an age when their appetites were insatiable, their stomachs would begin to rumble soon after eating, leaving them to ponder food all day long.

The boy speaking was from the best-off family among them.

His aunt had married into a family in another province, and when she returned to visit several years ago, she brought his grandmother a bag of oranges. His grandmother gave him one, and he had never forgotten that taste.

” ‘It was about this big,’ ” the boy gestured with his hands, forming a circle the size of a washbasin. ” ‘Inside, it had segments. You didn’t need to cut it, just pull them apart and eat. It was all sweet juice!’ ”

As he spoke, the boy couldn’t help himself; he slurped back the saliva threatening to spill. The others, merely listening, also felt their mouths water and swallowed along with him, as if they, too, had tasted it.

Only one boy seemed to choke. He turned his back, coughed a few times, then composed himself to continue listening to the boy describe the washbasin-sized orange. Oh, no, the circle in his hands had now grown to the size of a footbath.

The children were listening intently when a bullock cart rumbled in from outside the city. Two middle-aged individuals sat at the front: the man had a fierce expression, while the woman, with her round face, looked amiable. Two children were seated in the back of the cart.

These were none other than the human traffickers, Uncle Ma and Auntie Ma.

Once inside the city, they did not rush. Auntie Ma instructed Uncle Ma to pull the cart to the side of the road. She scanned her surroundings, her gaze settling on the children by the wall.

Giving Uncle Ma a knowing look to keep an eye on the two children in the cart, Auntie Ma herself approached the group, smiling warmly. ” ‘Children, Auntie has a few questions for you.’ ”

The children were engrossed in tales of rare delicacies and had no time to spare her. Not a single one spoke.

Auntie Ma was unfazed. From her pocket, she pulled out a handkerchief, inside which were wrapped two golden-yellow corn cakes.

She took one out and held it up. ” ‘Whoever can answer Auntie’s question gets this cake, alright?’ ”

The children instantly perked up, scrambling over each other to declare they could answer anything.

Auntie Ma smiled, a flicker of disdain in her eyes, and asked a peculiar question. ” ‘Has it rained around here these past few days? And did it thunder when it rained?’ ”

The children scratched their heads. It had rained, certainly, but they couldn’t recall if there had been thunder. One of them tentatively offered, ” ‘Yes, it thundered! Very loudly!’ ”

Auntie Ma’s eyes lit up. ” ‘Where did the lightning strike?’ ”

Who would know that? Who would dare watch where lightning struck during a thunderstorm? That was practically inviting death. The children exchanged glances, unable to answer.

Auntie Ma stiffened, her smile faltering. She put away the corn cake, intending to leave.

Just then, a clear voice slowly spoke up. ” ‘The lightning struck in the countryside, damaging the crops in a family’s field.’ ”

The speaker was the same boy who had seemed to choke earlier. He had stood silently behind the others until now, only speaking when he saw Auntie Ma about to depart.

Auntie Ma looked at the boy, startled. Indeed, what a handsome youth! In her trade, she had seen and handled countless children over the years, but one this striking was rare. In their jargon, he would surely fetch a good price.

The boy appeared to be eleven or twelve, with finely arched brows and clear eyes, his posture upright. Though his clothes were worn and his face smudged with dirt, his gaze was calm, unlike that of an ordinary child.

” ‘Could you take me to see the family whose field was struck by lightning?’ ” Auntie Ma asked, testing the boy.

The boy glanced at her, seemingly in thought, then asked after a moment, ” ‘Do you know how many lightning bolts struck that family’s field?’ ”

Auntie Ma understood. ” ‘Three?!’ ”

The boy patted the dust from his trousers. ” ‘Follow me.’ ”

Auntie Ma quickly waved, instructing Uncle Ma to drive the cart to follow. The boy led the way, and Auntie Ma, ever so solicitous, offered him a ride in the cart. The boy glanced at the dirty straw inside, pursed his lips, and ignored her.

After walking for about half an hour, the boy led them into a small alley, winding through several turns, finally stopping before a small courtyard.

Auntie Ma asked, ” ‘We’re here?’ ” Uncle Ma in the bullock cart also had an excited look in his eyes; he remembered they were being taken to meet their boss.

” ‘Wait here. I’ll go announce you first,’ ” the boy said, then stepped forward to knock on the door. He knocked twice, paused, then continued knocking. The door opened a crack from the inside, and the boy slipped in, closing the door behind him.

Uncle Ma leaned closer to Auntie Ma, whispering, ” ‘Third Sister, why are you so polite to this brat? He’s just a kid, isn’t he?’ ”

” ‘Shut up!’ ” Auntie Ma snapped coldly. ” ‘What do you know? That kid was arranged by Boss Lei to meet us; he must have Boss Lei’s trust. We’ve been running around outside for so long, how much favor do we have with Boss Lei? And you dare offend someone close to him? You’re asking to die of stupidity.’ ”

Uncle Ma nodded repeatedly, not daring to utter a sound in response.

Within minutes, the courtyard door reopened. The boy stood behind it, his face stern. ” ‘Boss Lei wants you to come in.’ ”

Auntie Ma forced a smile, attempting to curry favor and inquire about Boss Lei’s mood, but the boy’s cold expression rebuffed her. Uncle Ma, trailing behind, dared not speak either.

” ‘Go in quickly. Don’t make Boss Lei wait,’ ” the boy said coolly. ” ‘Leave these two outside. I’ll watch them so they don’t cry and disturb Boss Lei.’ ” He gestured with his chin towards the two children in the bullock cart.

Uncle Ma and Auntie Ma repeatedly assented. They pushed open the courtyard door and entered, following the direction of the boy’s finger towards the main house directly opposite the courtyard entrance.

Watching them walk away, the boy stepped back out of the courtyard and swiftly closed the door. At that very moment, Uncle Ma and Auntie Ma had just knocked on the room door. The instant they stepped inside, they found themselves with guns pointed at their heads.

Uncle Ma and Auntie Ma looked at the white uniforms before them, their legs turning to jelly, almost collapsing to their knees…

***

Inside the provincial Public Security Bureau, a half-grown youth sat amidst a group of uniformed officers. The officers coming and going all seemed very familiar with the boy, each exchanging a few words with him.

A man hurried out of the interrogation room, files in hand, seemingly headed to the director’s office. Passing the boy, he ruffled his hair, laughing. ” ‘You’re really something, kid. Not only did you catch the big fish, but you also managed to net the small fry that slipped away.’ ”

The boy’s brows lifted, and he drew two fingers across his forehead. ” ‘Serving the people.’ ”

The officers in the office chuckled. Several whispered among themselves, ” ‘It’s a shame this kid went to the orphanage. He’s cut out for our line of work!’ ”

Another chimed in, regretting, ” ‘Isn’t he? He’s just too young. Otherwise, we could’ve specially recruited him. This kid is truly brilliant.’ ”

” ‘Exactly! Quick-witted. If we didn’t have so many kids ourselves, we’d adopt him.’ ”

The boy, sitting alone in his chair, had a smile playing on his lips. The low murmurs behind him reached his ears, and a fleeting gleam flashed in his eyes.

‘It seems there’s a slight deviation from my plan. People are too poor these days and have too many children. I thought if I performed well, at least one of these many people would be willing to adopt me. It looks like I’ll still have to go to the orphanage.’

‘However, it’s not entirely without gain. At the very least, my identity has been confirmed, and I’ve established my presence among these public security officers. I’m no longer a homeless child anyone can bully, nor am I a transmigrator with an unknown identity anymore…’

Indeed, this youth was also a transmigrator. His name was Xu Hengzhou. Before his transmigration, he was twenty-eight, a wealthy scion of a prosperous family. After his transmigration, he was twelve, and his family wealth… likely remained substantial, for he had brought his family’s shopping mall with him.

His family’s enterprise was extensive, and Xu Hengzhou, as the most outstanding junior of his generation, had begun independently managing business affairs early on.

He had spent several years and over two billion yuan constructing a massive integrated shopping mall in the economically developed S City.

The mall spanned over 600,000 square meters, where one could fulfill any desire related to clothing, food, travel, or entertainment. It also housed thousands of luxury brand stores.

Once built, the mall generated considerable profits. Xu Hengzhou was quite invested, frequently inspecting it. It was during one such inspection that he encountered a little fool, who for some reason, took a liking to him.

To be honest, the little fool’s appearance truly pleased Xu Hengzhou. Though a bit silly, they inexplicably touched Xu Hengzhou’s steel heart, making him laugh from time to time—a rare occurrence for him.

Because of this, Xu Hengzhou pretended not to notice the little fool’s surreptitious glances, feigned ignorance of the poorly hidden figure following him, and amused himself by teasing the little thing. Later, the little thing couldn’t hold it in any longer and came to confess their feelings.

Somehow, when the little fool, face flushed, told him they liked him, Xu Hengzhou felt as if his heart had been scratched, an intense tremor of itchiness.

The little fool had even prepared quite thoroughly for the confession, pulling out a set of jewelry. In all his life, this was the first time Xu Hengzhou had received jewelry from someone.

He stared at the red mole on the little fool Xiang Chen’s fair, delicate hand, thinking, ‘Even if it’s cheap, I’ll just accept it. Otherwise, this little thing will surely cry in front of me.’

Then the little fool opened the jewelry box, and inside were… a large gold chain, a large gold bracelet, a large gold ring…

Xu Hengzhou: ” ‘…’ ”

That wasn’t all. The little fool held the jewelry box, timidly saying, ” ‘W-Wang Dagui, I really, really like you. Th-this is what I specially picked out for you. I think it suits you perfectly…’ ”

Xu Hengzhou: ” ‘…’ ”

Xu Hengzhou was almost driven to laughter by sheer exasperation. He knew this little thing was stupid, but he hadn’t imagined them to be so utterly foolish as to get his name wrong, yet still dare to confess.

And him, Xu Hengzhou, Young Master Xu, the precious heir of the Xu family—suitable for a large gold chain? This little thing couldn’t possibly be deliberately trying to amuse him!

Xu Hengzhou was furious. Looking at the expectant face of the little fool, Xiang Chen, he wanted to curse them but found the words stuck in his throat. He felt like he would explode, until he finally bit out a single word through gritted teeth: ” ‘Get out!’ ”

The little fool ran off crying. Xu Hengzhou felt a pang of regret, but then, remembering their foolishness, he suppressed that flicker of pity, resolving to give them the cold shoulder for a few days.

He returned and immediately looked up Wang Dagui, discovering he was a male sales associate at his mall…

Thinking of how many times that little thing must have silently chanted, ‘Wang Dagui, I like you,’ even knowing they actually liked him, Xu Hengzhou felt a mouthful of blood about to erupt.

He agonized all night, tossing and turning until he finally fell asleep in the early hours. Xu Hengzhou was still worried about the little fool, deciding he would go look for them at dawn.

At dawn, Xu Hengzhou transmigrated.