The overseer was eating, his mouth smeared with grease. Before he could react, a hand violently grabbed him by the neck. He was slammed against the wall, his face turning deathly pale in an instant.
The things on the table crashed to the floor. An ink bottle shattered, and a few drops splashed onto the overseer's face.
It took a long time for the people around to react. They dropped what they were holding and rushed over to pull him away. Qin Du didn't dodge. With veins bulging on his forehead, he smashed his fists into the overseer's face, blow after blow.
He had never been a civilized man. In Xinniu Village, he had grown up fighting like this.
"What are you standing around for?! Hurry up and call people in!"
"Qin Du, what you're doing is illegal! Believe it or not, I'll have you arrested!"
The people beside him roared at Qin Du in anger, constantly grabbing at his hands.
Qin Du's eyes were already red with fury. He grabbed a chopping axe nearby and swung it down, the handle aiming straight for the overseer's temple.
The overseer had been beaten into a stupor, but seeing the axe coming right at him, a rush of adrenaline hit his brain. He suddenly burst with strength and scrambled to the side.
The axe grazed his body and chopped into the table. The wooden table snapped in half. The overseer felt a sharp pain in his ear, and blood instantly spurted out.
The workers outside rushed over, but they all stood hesitantly at the door, completely afraid to come in.
A man holding a whip swore angrily, "If you don't go up and stop him, don't even think about getting your money!"
A few bold workers gritted their teeth, picked up steel bars, and smashed them viciously against Qin Du's back. Qin Du forcefully endured several blows. His breathing grew heavier and heavier, and his eyes were completely covered in bloodshot veins.
He panted heavily, his eyes fixed on those workers. He exuded an aura of madness. The workers were startled by his gaze and couldn't help but step back.
With a clang.
The workers were so frightened that they dropped their steel bars and ran.
They were here to make money, not to lose their lives.
The man who had just been holding the whip was now pinned firmly under Qin Du's foot. Blood flowed down Qin Du's forehead, mixing with the mud on his body, making him look like an evil spirit.
"Ugh... ugh..."
The man's face flushed crimson. He opened his mouth desperately, his hands tightly gripping Qin Du's shoe, trying to move the foot off his neck. His body began to convulse violently, and his eyes widened more and more.
The other overseers in the factory building hid in the corners, shivering, completely terrified to step forward and stop it.
"Ten yuan, or your head?"
The sky outside had completely darkened. Qin Du stood with his back to the light, making it impossible to see his face. Only his voice, hoarse like a bellows, could be heard.
The man had completely broken down. Tears and snot smeared his face as he tremblingly pulled money out of his pocket.
The workers outside were very quiet, all listening to the commotion inside. No one had ever been able to get their wages on the agreed time.
They hoped in their hearts that if Qin Du got his money, he might be able to help them get theirs too.
Someone finally walked out of the factory building, and the workers outside instantly fell silent. The gazes of hundreds of workers focused entirely on Qin Du. He was covered in wounds, with blood constantly dripping down, but seeing his calm demeanor, he must have gotten the money.
No one spoke. Suddenly, a scream came from inside the factory: "Whoever catches him first gets paid first!"
For a moment, the workers didn't move. They looked at each other, hesitation written on their faces.
Dragging his battered body, Qin Du didn't spare anyone a glance. He walked over to the dilapidated tractor. The fuel tank still had gas, and the cold wind continuously blew against his wounds.
With a loud rumble.
The tractor started.
The overseer practically crawled out of the factory building. His face was covered in blood, and his eyes were bulging out. His expression was extremely twisted: "What are you standing around for? Whoever catches him gets their wages settled today!"
The workers exchanged glances and hesitated no longer, all charging toward Qin Du.
Qin Du didn't treat these people as humans either. He revved the engine and rammed straight forward. The machine belched pungent black smoke, leaving the logging yard in a mess. Qin Du looked at the workers knocked to the ground, his eyes devoid of any emotion.
The sky was completely pitch black. Qin Du bumped along the mountain road, the dim headlights barely illuminating the path ahead. He felt his wounds starting to burn, and a cold sweat gradually broke out on his back.
There were only two days left until the college entrance examination registration deadline. He had to rush back as soon as possible.
His mother was waiting for him, and she was waiting for him too...
His vision began to blur. Qin Du bit his tongue hard, trying to keep himself awake.
The pain from his wounds made the veins on his forehead twitch involuntarily, but after a short while, his thoughts began to blur again.
Right at that moment, a roaring sound suddenly came from above.
Qin Du abruptly looked up. A massive wave of snow mixed with rubble crashed down in an instant. Before he could react, the vehicle was launched into the air, instantly losing all support.
Soon, the mountains returned to a state of tranquility.
A few days ago, the commune office had been crowded with people, but it had thinned out recently because everyone who needed to register had already done so.
Ji Zhaoxi counted the days, yet she still hadn't received any news from Qin Du. Worried to death, she simply barged into the commune office.
The commune director frowned at her: "There's no such thing. Everything must follow the rules."
"He'll be back soon. Can't I register for him first? It's not like you don't know Qin Du!" Ji Zhaoxi was so anxious she was on the verge of tears.
A commune cadre sneered: "How could we not know him? Qin Du, the son of the Five Black Categories. Don't you know his class background?"
"The college entrance examination doesn't care about class background!" Ji Zhaoxi retorted.
The director seemed to mock her naivety: "Zhuxin's little sister, let me just tell you this. Even if Qin Du came here today, he still wouldn't be able to do it."
He sized up Ji Zhaoxi and raised an eyebrow: "Maybe he just doesn't want to register himself. But what about you? You care about him so much, are you two dating?"
A female cadre beside him clicked her tongue and glared at him: "Enough, you can't spout nonsense like that."
Ji Zhaoxi looked at them without saying a word. Holding the photo and money Qin Du had left behind, she wanted to fill out the form for him directly.
But as soon as she finished filling it out, the clerk tore it up.
The clerk glared at her: "What's wrong with you, little girl? Does Ji Zhuxin know about this? Rules are rules!"
"You're just bullying Qin Du! I saw it all. Jiang Lao'er didn't come either, but you still registered for him." Ji Zhaoxi's eyes turned red.
The clerk's face changed, and he shouted loudly: "Try yelling again! You think you're so smart. If you keep this up, believe it or not, you'll drag your sister down with you!"
"If you keep making a fuss, you won't be allowed to take the exam either!"
Educated Youth Xie walked in through the door just in time to hear this sentence.
He quickly pulled Ji Zhaoxi back: "Zhaoxi, don't be like this. College entrance exam registration is such an important matter. If Qin Du doesn't care about it himself, why should you care for him?"
Ji Zhaoxi pushed him away, wiped her tears, and walked out with her head down.
