Jiangnan Province, adjacent to the central eastern coast of China, is located downstream of the Yangtze River.
The cities in the eastern part of Jiangnan Province are relatively developed, while the western part is mostly mountainous and very underdeveloped.
In the rugged mountains of western Jiangnan Province, there is an ordinary small mountain. This mountain is about a hundred meters tall, shaded by green trees, full of a primitive aura.
As dawn just broke, a young man stood quietly on top of the small mountain, motionless!
The young man was thin, nearly six feet tall, wearing a white T-shirt and faded blue jeans, with handsome features and a gentle demeanor.
In front of him stood a newly piled mound of earth, with a tombstone that read - Tomb of Li Qingshan!
While the young man was lost in thought in front of the grave mound, a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses walked by.
The middle-aged man looked at the young man in front of him and then at the grave mound, sighing deeply,
"Madman, Old Li passed away peacefully, with no suffering!"
The young man didn't speak. His gaze fixated on the grave mound, unblinking, as if he could see through the mound to the peacefully sleeping old man inside.
Bits of thoughts lingered in the young man's mind, refusing to fade away.
From his earliest memories, he had been an orphan wandering the streets, enduring disdain from others and often bullied.
Later, he came to understand a principle: to avoid being bullied, one had to be more ruthless than others. Thus, he started fighting back, battling fiercely against everyone who bullied him, fighting until they hurt, until they ached, until they cried!
Time after time, beaten bloody and bruised all over, but he still resisted madly, using his frail body to protect his humble dignity.
It wasn't until one time, when he was on the brink of death after being beaten by a few hoodlums, that he met the old man, Li Qingshan!
Li Qingshan took him back to this small mountain, raised him, taught him how to become stronger!
Li Qingshan was his kin, his only kin!
Still, the annoying yet strict old man had left, so quietly!
"This is something Old Li left for you!" The middle-aged man took out a small box the size of a palm and handed it to the young man.
The young man knew what was inside the box, took it, and didn't look further,
"Old man, I will fulfill your wishes. Rest easy!"
The young man's voice was somewhat hoarse, and the middle-aged man beside him, hearing these words, shook his head and sighed deeply,
"Madman, have you really decided to leave the Shadow Group? If Shadow finds out, she won't let me live!"
The Shadow Group, one of the most resonant and mysterious names in the world! China's top combat team, directly under the command of the highest leader!
And the young man in front of him was the leader of the Shadow Group, 'Madman'!
A figure who made assassins and mercenaries around the world tremble with fear!
"I've made my decision!" The young man said calmly, turning to the middle-aged man, "Minister Zhang, please convey to Shadow and the other brothers that I, Madman, can no longer fight alongside them!"
Minister Zhang stared at the young man in silence for a long while, seeing that his mind was made up, and could only sigh helplessly. Madman was the main pillar of the Shadow Group; his departure was bound to have a huge impact on the team.
However, he knew once Madman made a decision, not even the highest leader could change it. He could only take out a folder and hand it to the young man:
"Here is your Jiangnan University admission notification and your identity information!"
After speaking, Minister Zhang also took out a bank card and a red document:
"Since you refuse to accept the mentorship position arranged by the highest leader, take this Major General's document instead; it's a direct appointment by the highest leader! Also, this bank card contains fifty million, a reward for your years of service to the nation!"
The young man only took the red document and left the bank card: "Donate the money in this card to the orphanage. I'll keep the document."
In fact, over the years, the state had given the young man more than a hundred million in compensation, but he had donated the majority of it to the orphanage.
Minister Zhang seemed to know of the young man's actions, simply shaking his head with a smile, "You, others fight tooth and nail just to make money, yet you donate all you earn. I really don't know what you think! There are already over a hundred orphanages across the nation named after you!"
Although he said this, Minister Zhang felt incredible admiration for the young man in his heart!
The young man was momentarily silent, possibly due to his childhood experiences; he did not value money highly, focusing more on the living conditions of the orphans.
"You go back first! Remember not to tell Shadow and the others about my decision!"
"Alright! Call me if you need anything!" Knowing the young man wanted to stay alone for a while, Minister Zhang patted his shoulder and headed towards the helicopter parked nearby.
The mountaintop had been leveled exceptionally well, with a wooden cabin standing and a helicopter parked beside it.
Watching Minister Zhang get into the helicopter and slowly fly away, the young man's gaze returned to the grave in front of him:
"Attending university was your hope for me! Your descendants, your concerns! I will definitely see these two things done for you!"
The young man stood like a clay statue in front of the grave for four hours, until the sun was high in the sky, then knelt down on both knees, kowtowing three times towards Li Qingshan's grave before turning and descending the mountain.
Jiangcheng County is a small county in the western part of Jiangnan Province, thousands of miles away from the capital city, Jiangnan City.
Currently, in the afternoon, the train passing through Jiangcheng County had already started to depart.
Due to the approaching school year, the train was crowded with many people aboard.
On the hard seat, a handsome young man looked out the window at the swiftly receding scenery, lost in thought.
Next to him, by the window, sat a young girl.
Her figure was graceful, dressed in white casual trousers that tightly encased her long legs, and a tight-fitting emerald green top, her chest slightly protruding, radiating a youthful and enchanting charm.
Her face was exceptionally beautiful, striking awe. With no makeup, her skin was as white as jade, her big eyes sparkling extraordinarily, now and then emitting a captivating luster. Her black hair hung straight down, accentuating her perfect features even more beautifully.
The girl seemed to feel the gaze of the young man beside her, and a blush crept onto her fair face as she bravely extended her hand toward him and said,
"Hello! My name is Fang Qingxue!"
The young man paused, his gaze shifting from the window to the girl next to him, and then he smiled gently,
"Hello, my name is Ye Feng!"
The young man's palm and the girl's hand lightly clasped each other, then let go.
It was only then that Fang Qingxue realized that the young man called Ye Feng hadn't been looking at her. Thinking that she had initiated conversation without reciprocation, her pretty face flushed again.
"Hello! My name is Lai Hongbin!"
Just then, a slick-haired young man seated opposite Fang Qingxue also extended his hand, introducing himself with a smile.
Fang Qingxue was slightly embarrassed, but still politely reached out her hand, "Hello!"
Fang Qingxue and the other party shook hands, and then her eyebrows involuntarily knit together; she clearly felt him intentionally or unintentionally touch her hand.
Meanwhile, Lai Hongbin's heart was all smiles; ever since he had boarded the train, he had been captivated by Fang Qingxue's stunning appearance and had been lamenting the lack of an opportunity to strike up a conversation. Now, it seemed the situation was to his liking.
"Ahem!"
Lai Hongbin casually adjusted his sleeve, flashing his Montblanc watch on his wrist, seemingly trying to catch Fang Qingxue's attention.
However, to his disappointment, Fang Qingxue only glanced at it briefly and then fixed her gaze back on the young man named Ye Feng, seeming uninterested.
Could it be that Fang Qingxue didn't recognize the Montblanc brand?
Lai Hongbin frowned slightly; although Montblanc wasn't on the same luxury level as Patek Philippe or Vacheron Constantin, it was still a fairly prestigious brand, having cost him over thirty thousand, roughly the equivalent of a typical college student's entire annual expenditure.
"Classmate, are you also heading to school?" Fang Qingxue seemed extremely interested in Ye Feng, especially since he had been staring blankly out the window for two hours without moving, which had piqued her curiosity.
"No way! I see this young brother's palm is covered in calluses, he might be heading to Jiangnan City to work!" Lai Hongbin wouldn't pass up the chance to belittle someone else to elevate himself and quickly glanced at Ye Feng's palms, sarcastically remarking.
Hearing this, Fang Qingxue also noticed the calluses on Ye Feng's hands and thought she might have spoken incorrectly. Her pretty face flushed again as she was about to apologize.
"Jiangnan University!" Ye Feng, seemingly oblivious to Lai Hongbin's mockery, replied to Fang Qingxue with a smile.
"Ah?" Fang Qingxue blinked, and then a happiness spread across her pretty face: "I am also from Jiangnan University, what a coincidence!"
Hmm?
Lai Hongbin frowned, not having expected this somewhat worker-like young man to actually be a college student. He then asked,
"May I ask what major this young brother is studying?"
What major?
Ye Feng paused, apparently unaware of his own major, scratched his head, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Ahem… Brother Ye, you don't know which major you've applied for?" Fang Qingxue saw Ye Feng's expression and was somewhat dumbfounded.
"Hold on, let me check!"
As he spoke, Ye Feng reached into the back pocket of his jeans, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper.
"It really is an admission notice from Jiangnan University!" Lai Hongbin blinked, finally certain Ye Feng was not lying.
"Clinical Medicine!" Ye Feng's face showed a shy smile, and then he casually folded the admission notice once more and stuffed it back into the pocket behind him.
Watching this, Fang Qingxue silently patted her forehead, while Lai Hongbin scoffed, his face filled with thick scorn.
It was his first time seeing such an oddity, practically treating the admission notice from Jiangnan University like toilet paper.
At that moment, Lai Hongbin instantly categorized Ye Feng as an uncultured bumpkin.
"Hey! What's the use of studying medicine? Nowadays, you can only get into a hospital if you have strong connections! Brother Ye, don't blame me for not warning you, even if you graduate, without solid connections, you might only be able to open a clinic in the countryside! And then, the money you earn might not even cover the tuition fees you've paid these years!"
Lai Hongbin's face showed pride as he patted his chest. "I'm studying Business Management. Once I graduate, I'll directly join my father's company and manage hundreds of people. That's what I call a relevant major!"
As he spoke, Lai Hongbin glanced at Fang Qingxue, apparently boasting about his family's wealth.
Unfortunately for him, Fang Qingxue seemed to turn a deaf ear to his words, her eyes still fixed on Ye Feng, seemingly more interested in him.
However, Ye Feng wasn't paying attention to Fang Qingxue's gaze. Instead, his eyes were fixed straight ahead in the corridor, a flickering light deep within them.
Not far ahead, a young man with dyed yellow hair stood.
Due to the crowding in the carriage, this young man often bumped into others as he moved.
Yet, Ye Feng clearly saw that the young man was carrying a sharp switchblade. As he squeezed past each passenger, their pockets were slashed open, and their wallets dropped out.