Chapter 173: Have You Ever Played Cards?

Anger is a fire; normally suppressed within the cage of reason, once it breaks free, it causes uncontrollable consequences.

For instance, it can turn a person into a burning devil, dragging others down with him.

Provided you don't burn yourself to ashes before scorching others.

Nakamura Naoto was now consumed by the devil of rage, screaming and howling as he lunged to embrace Li Ye and burn him to cinders.

He launched a fierce counterattack.

"What about you? Aren't you the same?"

"It's ridiculous—if not for that war, we might have remained a poor agricultural nation for a while, but that would only be regression.

We once had the brilliance of modern industrialization; we possessed engineers and skilled workers rich in knowledge and resilient in spirit—we would rise again."

"But what about you?"

Nakamura Naoto had long forgotten his duty, abandoning the humble facade he'd painstakingly built over years.

He looked down at Li Ye and said, "Forty years ago, you couldn't even build an airplane—you were truly empty-handed."

"We rebuilt our powerful industry through the war in the north, restoring our ancestors' glory. Didn't you yourselves accept the entire Soviet industrial system?"

"But we are reviving; you are merely being given handouts."

The furious Nakamura was about to speak the two Chinese characters for "handouts," but caught himself in time, replacing them with an obscure Japanese word, then suddenly snapped back to awareness.

He immediately switched tone, speaking "gently": "So we're the same—we all have painful pasts we'd rather forget.

Therefore, please stop using such reckless methods to deepen misunderstandings between us and damage our friendship."

"."

Nakamura's 180-degree shift in attitude stunned everyone present.

Isn't that too fast?

Have you turned surrendering into a refined art?

To frame surrender as something so dignified—that's truly impressive.

But Professor Zhang on stage, along with several teachers and students, immediately grew cold-faced, even some growing angry.

Li Ye, who had just been smirking, now wore no smile; a stormy gloom settled over his handsome face.

He could guess Nakamura's meaning without effort.

Hua's heavy industry base did originate from Soviet aid—but could that be called a handout?

It was the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands, the effort of millions, followed by the entire nation scraping together surplus agricultural products to repay an unfair debt.

"."

Li Ye spat out a coarse phrase thick with Dongshan dialect—equally hard for foreigners to understand.

Just like Nakamura's earlier remark, it was unintelligible to outsiders.

Several angry students and teachers were silenced again by Li Ye's words.

"No, no, no, classmate Nakamura—we're not like you. The aid we received back then was pure friendship, pure assistance—completely different from yours."

Nakamura smiled—a smile that said, "You fell for it."

He bowed politely: "This is hard to explain, but you could ask senior scholars—I'm sure they'd give you a deeper interpretation."

"No, no, no—I don't need to ask them. I know myself," Li Ye pointed at the ground beneath his feet and sneered: "Our family never had foreign troops; yours did. So we're… different."

"."

Even Professor Zhang on stage lost his composure.

You're an adult—don't you know the rule: never strike someone in the face?

This is a formal setting, do you understand?

You're literally stepping on his throat and spitting in his face—how could he not fly into a rage?

Sure enough, Nakamura glared at Li Ye, his small eyes seeming to spew fire.

"You're extremely impolite! I won't let this go—I'll report to higher authorities that you're damaging our relations. You're an enemy of peace."

"Impolite?" Li Ye cut him off: "I advise you not to be foolish and bring trouble upon yourself."

Li Ye glanced at the stunned crowd and smiled lightly: "Everyone's played cards, right? You know that only a few players ever sit at the table to draw cards.

The rest can only stand around, watching and waiting—for their turn to join."

No one understood Li Ye's meaning, but everyone knew card games—during dorm card nights, the onlookers often outnumbered the players.

"Our ancient nation has sat at the card table for thousands of years.

Some rose to the table, others left—Nakamura's country once briefly took a seat.

Even if our luck has been poor lately and we've lost a few hands, we've never been pushed off the table—we've quietly and humbly watched the storms unfold.

Li Ye smiled kindly at Nakamura: "If you doubt it, go to the United Nations Building in Manhattan, New York—see if our table is any different from yours."

Li Ye tilted his chin slightly higher than Nakamura had moments before.

"I admit our nation must integrate into the world—but the world… needs us too."

"So I warn you, classmate Nakamura: our friendship rests on mutual strength, not on the whims of petty individuals like us.

Don't let anger cloud your judgment and do something that harms yourself."

"."

Nakamura couldn't speak.

Li Ye's words—"the world needs us"—suddenly reminded him of his family's mission; sweat broke out instantly.

The Nakamura family needed Hua's vast market—a land of untapped wealth.

He'd been sent here to befriend "friends" and pave the way for his family's business.

Before his grandfather entered this land, countless Japanese merchants had spent years laying groundwork—he was expected to succeed where they had.

But as he looked around at everyone's eyes, Nakamura felt as if plunged into an icy abyss.

Years of effort weren't destroyed—but severely damaged.

"Bang bang bang~"

Professor Zhang tapped his glass cup against the podium, drawing everyone's attention.

"Ahem~ The academic discussion ends here. It's good that young people have ideas and dare to speak, but mind your setting in the future."

Professor Zhang stood, walking away as he said to a teacher: "Academic debates are naturally heated. If anyone wants to write an article about this, let them come to me."

"Understood, Professor Zhang."

Once Professor Zhang left through the side door, the lecture hall erupted—everyone turned again to Li Ye's seat.

But all they saw was Li Ye and Wen Leyu, hand in hand, retreating quickly.

………

Li Ye knew when to stop—he pulled Wen Leyu away the moment Professor Zhang stepped down.

The atmosphere tonight was too chaotic; if too many seniors and teachers surrounded him, he feared he'd stumble—say one wrong thing and spend half the night explaining.

When they reached Weiming Lake, they walked slowly for a while before Wen Leyu smiled: "I never realized you had such a fiery side!"

Li Ye chuckled: "I'm surprised myself. But back then, I just couldn't hold back the fire in my chest—it was unbearable."

"Why hold it back?" Wen Leyu asked, puzzled. "We didn't do anything wrong—why suffer in silence?

My dad told me: if others don't provoke us, fine. But if they do, fight back—otherwise, they'll look down on you."

"."

Li Ye suddenly understood: Wen Qingsheng had endured years of hardship in the north, yet his temper never changed—he'd even picked up that northern "What are you staring at?" attitude.

But Wen Leyu added: "Still, my mom says: think thrice before acting. Stay calm and composed to win in the end. So next time, let's consider which of them is right."

"."

Li Ye couldn't help laughing, then pulled Wen Leyu's small hand: "Then let's listen to your mom from now on."

Wen Leyu nodded: "Fine—we're under her authority now."

Because of Teacher Ke's job, Li Ye and Wen Leyu truly were under her authority.

"Li Ye! Li Ye! Why did you run off?"

As Li Ye and Wen Leyu chatted casually, a group followed along the lakeside, calling out before even approaching.

Li Ye looked—Sun Xianjin, Bian Jingjing, and several students who'd sat in the front row during the lecture.

Yu Liansheng, the one who loved to provoke, stepped forward, casually saying: "Man, everyone's been looking for you—you're here by the lake with a girl, admiring the moon? What a mood!"

Li Ye didn't answer right away—he looked at Sun Xianjin.

They'd found them only because of this guy.

Li Ye and Wen Leyu's lakeside stroll was their private moment—why let others intrude?

Sun Xianjin sighed: "Bro, they went to the dorm, then the library, searched everywhere—almost went to the homeroom teacher. I didn't want them running around uselessly…"

Fine. You're using Mu Yunning to pressure me? Hmm. Wait and see.

At that moment, the student with Yu Liansheng extended his hand to Li Ye.

"Sorry, Li Ye—I'm Shang Changchun from the '79 class. Let's get acquainted. Maybe we can discuss shared interests later."

"Shang Changchun? You're the one who wrote 'On the Pros and Cons of Rural Contracting' in the College Student Economic Daily?"

Li Ye had just received that newspaper today and read Shang's article—now he was meeting the author.

Shang Changchun was surprised: "That paper's ancient—how'd you find it?"

Sun Xianjin said: "I traded five packs of sugared peanuts with Zhu Vanguard Commander."

"Five packs of sugared peanuts? You guys are that rich?"

Yu Liansheng exclaimed, turning to Li Ye: "I'm Yu Liansheng. Have you read my articles?"

Li Ye shook his head: "No—I haven't finished reading the paper yet."

"Why didn't you finish reading it? Really now, come on, let's find a place—I'll tell you about my article."

Yu Liansheng grabbed Li Ye and pulled him away, completely ignoring Wen Leyu beside them.

Wen Leyu smiled faintly and waved at Li Ye, signaling him to go ahead.

Bian Jingjing quietly gave Sun Xianjin a nudge.

Sun Xianjin blinked, confused by the gesture.

Only when he saw where Bian Jingjing was looking did he suddenly understand, and he hurried after Li Ye, Yu Liansheng, and the others.

Wen Leyu gazed calmly at Bian Jingjing, who happened to be looking at her at the same moment.

Bian Jingjing brushed her hair aside and smiled. "Wherever Li Ye goes, he's always the best."

Wen Leyu narrowed her eyes, then said after a pause, "Not bad."

Yesterday, many readers issued a "monthly vote warning" to Old Feng, and Old Feng trembled in fear.

Because the monthly votes for "That Year's Blossoms" were already terrible—if everyone piles on again, it'll be adding frost to snow.

So Old Feng will definitely add an extra chapter before midnight today, as an apology.

But it'll be posted very late, so everyone should go to sleep early and read it tomorrow.

Sorry, sorry! My apologies!

Also, thank you to reader "The Drowned Giant" for the tip, and to reader "Crimson Wolf 1993" for the tip.

(End of chapter)