Chapter 28 – At My Birth, There Was No Use
After the mission briefing was completed, Ji Yin escorted Lu Yuan out. Lu Yuan was troubled by the dangers of the journey ahead, and the two walked in silence.
At the entrance of the Internal Affairs Bureau, Ji Yin let out a long sigh. “I don’t know if this is the right thing to do.”
“This is my own choice. No matter the outcome, you don’t need to feel guilty,” Lu Yuan said calmly. The hardships of life had taught him that even a chance to risk his life was precious—at least his fate was still in his own hands.
Ji Yin nodded. He struck his right fist against his chest and offered a blessing:
“May glory always accompany your path!”
Lu Yuan looked at him in confusion.
“It’s a cultivator custom,” Ji Yin said with a smile. “You’re supposed to reply, ‘Return as you departed.’”
Lu Yuan understood and mirrored the gesture.
“Return as you departed!”
```
When Lu Yuan got home, it was already past four in the afternoon.
After making dinner for Xiaobing, he returned to his room and began studying the intelligence materials provided by the Internal Affairs Bureau.
Besides the contact method for the Jiangzhou cult, the materials also included basic knowledge about the cult—its slogans, doctrines, and prayer methods.
If he didn’t know these, he would definitely be exposed and then killed. His sister’s +50 exam bonus would be triggered.
Lu Yuan memorized the materials carefully, while also finding the cultists ridiculous.
The cult called itself the Holy Church, and their god was referred to as the King of All Gods. According to their doctrine, the Shenzhou world would soon be destroyed, and all the Hua people would die. However, the King of All Gods took pity on humanity and left a loophole—He would send divine birds to save Shenzhou. Those chosen by the divine birds would become envoys of the gods. Only by obeying these envoys could humanity be saved.
This was how cults always worked: predict an apocalypse and provide salvation. As long as those two elements existed, even a crude setup could become a cult.
In short, their doctrine was full of holes.
But one thing puzzled Lu Yuan greatly.
When Zhang Baocheng died, Lu Yuan had been there. He had seen those cultists fearless in the face of death. It was hard for him to imagine how such a flawed belief system could have such powerful influence.
Rational people could never understand cultists. Just then, Xiaobing returned home from school.
He couldn’t let her see the materials, so Lu Yuan put them away and ate with her.
Tonight’s meal was Buddha Jumps Over the Wall...
Xiaobing was already numb to her brother’s cooking skills.
She just ate and didn’t bother praising anymore.
Lu Yuan didn’t mind. As long as she enjoyed it, that was enough.
As long as she didn’t end up turning into a ball and blaming him later.
“Xiaobing, do me a favor. Tomorrow, use the school computer to register me for the written exam. You know my ID number.”
Lu Yuan remembered that registration was due tomorrow. It had to be done online, and their home didn’t have a computer.
He should have just registered at the Internal Affairs Bureau today—if Ji Yin’s computer could play anime, it could definitely handle registration.
Xiaobing made a reassuring gesture. “What password should I set?”
“Use my birthday.”
After the meal, Xiaobing went to wash the dishes. Lu Yuan thought for a moment, then took out his bank card.
“There’s still over fifty thousand yuan in here. The eight thousand you gave me last time is also in it. The password is my birthday. You keep it for now.”
Xiaobing took the card and looked at her brother deeply.
“Where are you going?”
“Studying is too suffocating. I want to go out and relax for a few days,” Lu Yuan said casually.
Xiaobing didn’t press further.
The siblings sat in the living room studying. Xiaobing worked on practice problems, while Lu Yuan reviewed science textbooks. Physics, chemistry, and biology were relatively straightforward—if he mastered the material, he could recover much of what he had forgotten.
Maybe.
After a while, Lu Yuan grew restless. He spoke up:
“Xiaobing, while I’m gone, please take care of Mom and Dad.”
At this, Xiaobing snapped her mechanical pencil lead and lowered her head.
“Got it. When will you come back? Are you not planning to come back?”
“How could that be? Probably about a week.”
Lu Yuan himself wasn’t confident. The trip to Jiangzhou was full of danger, and he didn’t know when he would complete the mission. But seeing his sister’s worried eyes, he smiled.
“I still have to take the college entrance exam, right?”
Xiaobing nodded. That, she believed.
The two said nothing more. After washing up, they returned to their rooms to sleep.
Lu Yuan turned off the light and lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep for a long time. He was reluctant to leave his parents and sister.
Tossing and turning, his door suddenly opened. Xiaobing threw herself into his arms and burst into tears.
“Brother, where are you going? Where are you really going?!”
It wasn’t just Lu Yuan who couldn’t sleep.
From the moment he handed her the bank card, Xiaobing realized that this wasn’t just a simple trip.
There was a high chance he wouldn’t come back.
Otherwise, he would never have asked her to take care of their parents.
Xiaobing was actually very smart—she just liked to act silly in front of her brother.
Lu Yuan hugged her and wiped away her tears.
“Isn’t life good right now? Mom has already received treatment. What more do you want? Isn’t staying home enough?” Xiaobing choked. “Brother, don’t go, okay?”
In the darkness, Xiaobing couldn’t see Lu Yuan’s expression, only his eyes. Just as she thought he would remain silent, he spoke.
“I had a dream recently,” his voice calm and distant. “I want to tell it to you.”
“In that dream, I didn’t have a sister. Mom didn’t receive treatment and died before my college entrance exam.
I didn’t get into university. Not long after, Dad died in a traffic accident while delivering food at night.
That year, I was twenty years old, completely alone. Our house had long been sold, and I had nowhere to live.
Even so, a person has to keep living—even if it’s just barely surviving.
I worked to support myself while attending night school at a vocational institute. There, I seriously learned cooking.
After mastering it, I worked various jobs and saved a little money.
I met a beautiful woman. We planned to open a restaurant together.
I thought I could build a happy life with my own hands—marry a woman who loved me and form a small family.
That year, I was twenty-eight. She cheated me out of all my money and left me with over a million in debt.
To repay it, I started from a street pancake stall.
I was chased by city management, bitten by stray dogs, kicked by thugs, battered by wind and rain.
I never stopped.
The pancake stall gradually became a barbecue stall, then a small street stand with three umbrellas.
That year, I was thirty-six. I paid off all my debts and finally rented a small storefront. I had wanted that place for a long time. With a shop, I wouldn’t have to fear the rain or be chased away anymore.
That night, I drank with several officials. To open a shop, I needed a permit. If they weren’t satisfied, I wouldn’t get it.
I never liked drinking, but to please them, I drank two bottles of liquor.
That night, I collapsed into a sewer.
I clearly remember the feeling of filthy water flooding my nose and mouth—a suffocating stench.
I wanted to get up, but I had no strength.
At that moment, for the first time, I felt truly exhausted. I suddenly wanted to give up.
I thought, if I could have another chance, I didn’t want to die alone in a gutter like a stray dog.
I wanted to always be with my family.
I wanted a few friends I could talk to.
I wanted someone worth loving.
I wanted to stand tall on this earth—not to trample anyone beneath my feet, but to proudly raise my head and tell the world my name.
My name is Lu Yuan—Lu as in land, Yuan as in distance!”
The final words were spoken in a low voice, but the fury toward fate could not be suppressed.
In the darkness, Xiaobing trembled.
“Sorry for scaring you,” Lu Yuan said gently after calming down. “It was just a bad dream.”
“Dreams are fake.”
“Maybe.” Lu Yuan patted her head. “Xiaobing, I want to get into one of the top four universities. I want to give it everything.”
“I understand. I support you.”
“But you have to promise me one thing.”
Before leaving, Xiaobing turned back:
“You’re not allowed to dream of a world without me again.”
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