Orange Storm chapter 67
Comrades
Capturing cat abuse on the first day of the new year naturally drew attention, and the online community quickly became outraged, with reposts reaching over ten thousand in no time. As the location and individuals in the video were clear, some people soon dug up the real information.
In a short period, the hashtag #Shaojiang High School Senior Three Student Abuses Cat# started trending. Some felt that since he was still a high school student, he was just a child, and finding private information was inappropriate. Others believed that if a high school student dared to abuse a cat, who knows what else they might do in the future. Some began discussing the impact of excessive academic pressure on children, while a portion of people directly found the school’s official Weibo account, questioning how they would handle the situation.
Among the students, there were secret discussions as well. The school issued a notice prohibiting the spread of related videos and forbidding the online publication of classmates’ information. Tang Yi even emphasized in a class meeting, with a very serious tone.
“If a classmate makes a mistake, parents and teachers will discuss how to handle it together. However, if some students, in the name of ‘justice’ or seeking attention, publicly release the real information of their classmates online, this behavior is as despicable as that of the student who made a mistake. Understand?”
There was silence for a few seconds below, and finally, they all answered in unison, “Understood.”
Tan Zhuo didn’t come to school for a full three days. It wasn’t until the fourth day in the morning that he appeared in the teaching building with his father.
The middle-aged man didn’t even know what Weibo was, only knowing that the teacher informed him that his son had made a serious mistake, and the consequences were severe. Wearing a military coat, he stood anxiously at the office, handing out cigarettes to every teacher he saw, constantly apologizing.
“It’s my fault for not teaching him well. I’m sorry…”
Tang Yi felt a bit sorry for him, asked him to wait in the office, poured a glass of water for him, and talked for over an hour about Tan Zhuo’s situation. In the end, he had a private conversation with Tan Zhuo and suggested that he see a psychologist.
Finally, the school’s decision came down—suspended from school temporarily while keeping his student status intact.
Apart from the heinous nature of the cat abuse incident, the decision also took into account Tan Zhuo’s mental state, which was no longer suitable for continuing exam preparation.
When Tan Zhuo received the disciplinary notice, his face turned pale.
Even when he went to the classroom to pack his things, his face remained extremely pale. Most of the classmates were present, but no one dared to make a sound as he walked in. In the silence, Tan Zhuo silently packed his belongings, carried the stack of books he couldn’t fit into his backpack, and left the classroom with a hunched back.
Fang Xing and Xu Hang had gone downstairs to buy a bottle of water. Just as they climbed up one floor, they met Tan Zhuo coming down the stairs with books in his arms.
Tan Zhuo suddenly stopped, staring down at Fang Xing from a higher vantage point. Fang Xing didn’t expect to encounter Tan Zhuo, and after locking eyes for a few seconds, he looked away and walked past him.
As they brushed past each other, Tan Zhuo suddenly spoke, “Are you happy? You’ve ruined my life.”
There was a hint of resentment in his tone. Xu Hang, beside him, was momentarily stunned, then immediately cursed, “What are you talking about—”
Fang Xing patted him on the shoulder, signaling Xu Hang to stop, then turned to look at Tan Zhuo.
“No one wants to ruin you, and no one owes you anything,” Fang Xing said.
“You constantly blame everyone for everything—no one has to cater to you. How you live is your own business.”
Fang Xing’s tone was calm. In the end, he locked eyes with Tan Zhuo for a few seconds and added, “And, if you can’t pass the exam this year, try again next year. Don’t think one exam determines your entire life. Lastly, I’ll give you some advice: it’s better to see a psychologist.”
Being able to speak calmly and peacefully with Tan Zhuo, Fang Xing was somewhat admiring himself.
This incident was like throwing a stone into a lake. Although it created quite a splash, in the end, everything returned to calm. The time in Senior Three flew by in busy study, and the sound of tearing calendars by the study committee member became crisp and loud, heralding the arrival of exams.
At Cloud Seven, with fewer customers these days, the workload became much lighter. After pouring a cup of alcohol, Gu Xun had just finished making it, and turned to look at Jiang Zhijin.
“When is Fang Xing taking the college entrance exam?”
“June 7th and 8th,” Jiang Zhijin replied, finishing a message on his phone before closing it.
“121 days to go.”
“You remember it so clearly.” Gu Xun smirked. “Having a big age difference easily leads to problems. Dating feels like raising a son.”
“Fang Xing will definitely smack you if he hears this,” Jiang Zhijin said.
“Fang Xing is diligently studying and progressing well in school,” Gu Xun said with a smile. “Aren’t you supposed to pick him up after evening self-study?”
“Still half an hour,” Jiang Zhijin glanced at the time, wanting to say something more, when suddenly, there was a commotion at the door.
The two stopped talking and looked towards the door. Five or six men were chatting as they walked into the shop. Their voices were a bit loud, and as soon as they entered, they claimed a large central booth without waiting for anyone to come over.
Probably noticing that the waitstaff were busy and hadn’t approached yet, one of the men walked straight to the bar and spoke to Gu Xun inside.
“Beer, bring two pints first—” Midway through his sentence, the man turned around and, upon seeing Jiang Zhijin’s face, suddenly stopped.
In the dim light of the bar, after a few seconds of confirmation, he hesitated before speaking.
“Platoon Leader?”
Jiang Zhijin had not paid much attention to the man initially. At this moment, he was slightly surprised and turned to look at the man.
He squinted for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled, stood up straight, and said, “Chen Bo?”
If he remembered correctly, he was a soldier he had led before.
“It’s me!” Chen Bo was visibly excited. He immediately stood up, walked to Jiang Zhijin, and looked very happy. “How long has it been since we last met? I thought you had forgotten me.”
“How could that be?” Jiang Zhijin patted him heavily on the shoulder. “At least more than two years under my command.”
“Yeah, at that time, I had the worst performance in weighted running, always bothering you for practice.” Chen Bo was excited and a bit embarrassed as he scratched his head.
Jiang Zhijin turned around and called Gu Xun, indicating that he should serve the drinks to that table first. He also handed a cigarette to Chen Bo.
“Are you still in the army now?”
“I left a long time ago. I left the year after you did. Now I’m doing some small business with friends. Oh, and Da Yang, Zhao Quan, they also left the army, got married, started businesses…”
Jiang Zhijin had left the army for five years. Because he moved to a different city, he hadn’t encountered many of his former comrades. After all, brothers who had eaten and lived together had a deeper friendship than usual. Chen Bo and chatted with Jiang Zhijin for quite a while. He was pleased to find out that this bar was owned by Jiang Zhijin.
“When you left the army with injuries, we all felt it was a pity. With your performance at the military academy, promotion was just a matter of time.”
Jiang Zhijin smiled and said, “It’s life.”
He still had to go pick up Fang Xing later, so he didn’t drink. Chen Bo, on the other hand, had drunk quite a bit. Seeing his glass empty again, Jiang Zhijin took it and poured him another.
“It’s the same everywhere. Wherever you live, it’s life.” Chen Bo laughed heartily. “The army also has its drawbacks. Gu Wenyao is still in the army, busy all the time.”
Hearing this name suddenly, Jiang Zhijin’s pouring hand paused for a moment.
The next second, he poured the wine for Chen Bo and raised his eyebrows, saying, “Is he still in the army?”
“Ah, he got into a military academy, and now he’s a guide instructor. He’s quite impressive. I remember back then, apart from you, he was the most hardworking one.”
“He is quite impressive.” Jiang Zhijin smiled and sincerely praised him.
“Ah, five years have passed in a blink of an eye.” Chen Bo laughed and sighed. “Everyone is scattered all over the place. We rarely stay in touch, occasionally say a few words in the group, and someone often brings up your name.”
“At that time, we all felt you left so suddenly. Later, the platoon leader said it wasn’t easy for you.”
Jiang Zhijin smiled but didn’t say anything.
At that time, Jiang Zhijin lay in the military hospital for a full four months. After struggling to get up, he underwent rehabilitation training. Finally, after enduring rehabilitation, he underwent examinations. Someone regretfully informed him that based on the severity of his spinal injury, it seemed impossible for him to return to military training. They asked if he wanted to transfer to a civilian position or return to a local unit.
Jiang Zhijin remembered that his mind went blank at that moment, relying entirely on intuition to speak, though his tone was surprisingly calm.
“Oh, then I’ll retire.”
After that came the hospital discharge, the completion of discharge procedures, receiving the discharge allowance… and then leaving. Jiang Zhijin himself couldn’t remember the details.
No one rushed him; it was him who was eager to leave.
“I’m sorry it happened the way it did.” Jiang Zhijin said.
Chen Bo quickly waved his hand, his face turning red from the alcohol.
“There’s no need to apologize. Everyone was just worried about you, not knowing how you were doing. So, they often asked about you in the group chat. By the way, let’s exchange WeChat. I’ll add you to the group.”
Jiang Zhijin nodded readily. “Sure.”
After adding WeChat, Chen Bo continued talking while adding him.
“We were just talking a few days ago about taking advantage of the holidays during the New Year. Since everyone is on vacation, we’ll find a convenient place to gather. It’s been… it’s been five years since you left, right?”
Jiang Zhijin smiled and replied, “Yes, it’s been five years.”
The phone rang, indicating that he had been added to the group. Jiang Zhijin opened it and took a quick look; the group was quite lively. He casually changed his group nickname to “Jiang Zhijin.”