048 Preparation

The children didn’t run very fast, and the female teachers even less so, as they had to both guard against the “bandit” and look after the kids. So it wasn’t long before Du Ruo caught up with them from behind, raising and swinging his “broadsword” again and again, striking down one after another…

While Du Ruo was in the midst of his relentless assault, the four police officers and security guards, armed with shields and forks, began to close in on him. From farther off, more officers hurried out from the security office to reinforce them.

Unfortunately for them, Du Ruo was not only swift and tireless, but also wielded his “broadsword” mercilessly—whoever stood in his way, fell, be it man or Buddha. Whether security guard or police officer, riot batons and forks were casually brushed aside by Du Ruo, whose blade immediately followed through. He was agile, never allowing himself to be surrounded; after knocking down the adults, he would chase after the children and teachers.

Chaos erupted on the vast playground. The principal, who had been first out of her office, now looked ashen. She recalled how Du Ruo had hesitated, worried he wouldn’t be able to act freely in the exercise, and it was only after much persuasion that she’d convinced him to play the role of the assailant.

But she had no time for regrets. She dashed out to join in the effort to subdue Du Ruo. He, meanwhile, seemed to revel in the fight, undaunted by the growing number of people surrounding him—male PE teachers wielding stools, even the kitchen uncle brandishing a large ladle.

As the numbers grew, the encirclement tightened. The principal, seizing an opportunity, lunged forward and clung to Du Ruo’s leg, refusing to let go.

Du Ruo, seeing this, dared not make any drastic moves. He raised his “broadsword” and brought it down on the principal, but she paid no heed and clung to his foot, sprawled on the ground.

With his movement now restricted, Du Ruo had no choice—he couldn’t very well drag her along; after all, this was just a drill and he didn’t want to injure anyone. So he stood his ground, broadsword in one hand blocking shields, batons, forks, stools, or ladles, while the other continued to hack, preparing one last desperate counterattack.

“Everyone together—tie him up!” someone shouted.

Du Ruo saw the portly kitchen uncle toss aside the ladle and charge at him, locking him in a powerful grip.

With a loud crack, Du Ruo’s “broadsword” finally shattered under the strain, and he was soon sweating and surrounded on all sides.

…

According to the review of the surveillance footage afterward, during the drill Du Ruo “struck down” more than twenty children and over a dozen adults, including teachers, police officers, security guards, and the principal—a total of more than forty casualties.

From then on, the entire town—not just the kindergarten, but even the elementary and middle schools—stepped up their campus security measures.

Because Du Ruo had worn a mask, aside from the principal no one knew what the “bandit” looked like; they only knew he was Yaya’s uncle.

Now, there was no need to worry about Yaya being bullied at school—everyone knew her uncle was formidable.

“Uncle, are we having fish tonight? You were amazing today! Shouldn’t you get a fish dinner as a reward?” Yaya, getting into the car, didn’t praise Du Ruo so much as ask about fish, and even gave him a reason to agree, just in case he refused.

“All right, all right, we’ll have fish. Let’s go to the market and buy some for Grandma to cook,” Du Ruo replied with a smile. He always felt relaxed with Yaya around.

“Mm! After we buy fish, let’s go pick up Maomao,” Yaya said. She’d grown up with Maomao, who was second only to fish in her affections.

“Uh, let’s get Maomao first. After shopping, we’ll head straight home,” Du Ruo said, suddenly remembering the golden retriever he’d forgotten earlier when he was at the shop.

Fortunately, they hadn’t gone far. After turning the car around, they stopped in front of the shop.

“Mama, where’s Maomao? Maomao, come out! Uncle’s taking us to… uh, to Grandma’s house,” Yaya shouted as she ran into the shop to call the dog, nearly letting slip that they were buying fish—her mother worried about fish bones and never let her eat fish.

“Hey, little brother, I saw your video—the one the parents recorded. I’m going to share it everywhere. Let’s see who dares pick on Yaya now,” Du Na said, grinning so wide her eyes nearly disappeared, paying no mind to Yaya’s chatter.

These days, having children was hard, raising girls even harder, what with worries about bullies, troublemakers, and all sorts of dangers. After Du Ruo’s performance, Du Na was eager to spread the word—pity he’d worn a mask, or she’d let the whole town know.

As for why Du Ruo was so capable, Du Na didn’t care. He was her little brother, and in her eyes, he was always the best.

“Do as you like. All right, we’re off now.” After Yaya came out with Maomao, Du Ruo greeted Du Na, let Yaya and the dog into the car, and headed for the market.

They bought several sea fish and a large piece of beef, then Du Ruo drove the two—one child, one dog—home.

Instead of returning directly to Du Family Village, he first went to their rented courtyard, letting Yaya and Maomao play while he put some ingredients in the fridge and took out the stewed beef to eat in the yard.

Whenever he felt hungry now, he ate immediately—it was important to replenish his strength quickly. Besides, if he didn’t eat beforehand, his appetite at dinner might shock his parents.

While Du Ruo was wolfing down food, in a painting studio in Longquan City, Li Qiyao was sitting in her office, chatting with someone.

“Sis, why isn’t he here yet? I posted about the studio reopening on social media yesterday. Knowing him, he should have shown up by now, pestering you as always.” Li Qiyao’s cousin paced in front of the desk, grumbling, “Men like that all deserve what’s coming to them.”

“Don’t be so impatient. Did you prepare everything I told you to?” Li Qiyao asked, her worried expression deepening as she glanced at her cousin’s bruised face—concealer couldn’t hide it.

“Don’t worry, Sis. I invited everyone under the pretense of discussing the summer classes, and we’re almost done talking. We can go ahead with the plan soon,” her cousin replied, wincing as her injured wrist brushed against the desk.

“Remember, if he comes, no matter what happens, stay out and keep everyone else out too. Only come in if I call for help,” Li Qiyao instructed, putting away a severe depression diagnosis report in her drawer and placing an inkless fountain pen in plain sight on the desk. She straightened her skirt.

Knowing that man, now that she was back in the city, he would act without restraint. She was sure he would come for her soon.