Ning An's Wild Wish System

Bang!

Yang Shu slammed the table suddenly, the sound extremely loud.

”What a bunch of bootlickers, what a bunch of bullies!”

”Is this how you sign a contract?”

Principal Wang laughed awkwardly, lowered his head, and dared not look into Yang Shu’s eyes.

The crowd of school leaders hung their heads, as if they heard nothing.

”Powerful, huh.”

Yang Shu looked coldly at Wang Xia: ”Do you really think no one can hold you accountable? I just don’t want to stoop to your level; you’re too much.”

”Oppressing people with power? Is that the only trick you know?”

...

Over here, Zhao Yimeng’s story was still unfolding.

——

The next day, a soldier named Li Hai sought me out when nobody was around.

”Instructor, don’t take that ’Seven Clumps of Fur’ to heart.”

Li Hai offered a comforting way out: ”Not just you, last month I threw a piece of bread into the pig’s trough and got a harsh scolding from ’Seven Clumps of Fur’.”

”’Seven Clumps of Fur,’ what’s the meaning?”

”Cough, cough... That’s a nickname I gave the company commander. As the saying goes, you can get a name wrong, but never a nickname.”

Li Hai chuckled, took his toothbrush from Liang Erxi’s army green mug.

”Instructor, take a look, is this a toothbrush? It’s more like a stick with bird feathers patched together.”

”Look at these bristles, one clump, two clumps, three clumps... Well, it’s not seven clumps, there are actually nine, so let’s call him ’Nine Clumps of Fur’.”

I didn’t pay attention to the excuse Li Hai provided, nor did I speak up for Liang Erxi.

Since transferring to this company, I’ve basically been living with Liang Erxi.

Though I’ve never paid attention to how many clumps of bristles are left on his toothbrush, I’m well aware of his stinginess.

Daily, he’s the typical farmer, unwilling to spend a penny; even if he had to, he’d want to split it in two to spend.

”A military official, supporting a whole family with his salary every month, yet he’s unwilling to buy a new toothbrush, tsk tsk tsk,”

Li Hai tossed the ’Nine Clumps of Fur’ into the tile jar, shaking his head: ”That’s the typical small-minded farmer mentality, always thinking about saving money.”

”He should put a brick underfoot and take a good look at the world. Nowadays, money is not saved up, it’s earned!”

”Talking about opening new ways and cutting costs; the country is promoting opening new ways now, isn’t it? Saying it’s a bit backward-minded is just borrowing a chance to humiliate others. Saying it’s big, hmph, that’s deliberately undermining the revolution, a heinous crime against the party and country!”

I just stared coldly at him and didn’t respond.

Even though I have preconceived notions about Liang Erxi, I still possess the basic integrity of an instructor.

No matter how rotten I am, I’d never mix with someone like Li Hai.

Seeing me silent, Li Hai’s mind raced, trying to find another topic:

”Instructor, you’ve been here for more than a month, aren’t you transferring soon?”

Deeply startled inside, I hurriedly asked him: ”Who told you I’m transferring?”

He grinned sheepishly: ”No need for anyone to say, I can see it myself,”

My expression instantly turned grim.

Entering the company and then transferring is indeed the path I wish to take.

Yet it’s my path, and I don’t want anyone knowing ahead of time.

”No need to worry about that.” Li Hai smiled and asked again: ”Instructor, I heard your parents hold high positions, how high?”

”What’s the matter with you!”

My mind was an inferno, not knowing whether it was from anger or fear.

”Instructor, we’re on the same side,”

Li Hai still flattering: ”We’ve similar backgrounds; I know a bit about your situation.”

”Now it’s clear as day, people like us have nothing in common with farmers like ’Nine Clumps of Fur.’ Don’t believe it, come year-end, I’ll apply for discharge.”

After speaking, he cheekily added: ”Instructor, if you have something special, just let me know.”

”My family does this kind of thing; we have many channels, what you can’t think of, we have, guaranteed cheaper than market price!”

”I don’t need anything, and I haven’t heard a word of today’s conversation, go back.”

Watching my unwelcoming face, Li Hai hesitated a moment, then left dejectedly.

Time, like a wild donkey, surged forward relentlessly, unable to stop.

An entire month passed again.

Finally, Liang Erxi’s leave application was approved.

He was extremely excited, his voice couldn’t help but rise a bit while speaking.

He attempted to pack several times wanting to dash back home but ended up delaying each time.

He wished to leave but somehow couldn’t.

I could tell, there were two competing thoughts in his mind.

He was very uneasy about me being the instructor, afraid that after he leaves, I’d ruin the formerly rigid second company...

The next day, he attended a meeting at the regiment level, only coming back at night.

In the dark, he informed me of the instructions released by the regiment.

Then, he awkwardly raised his leave application again.

”Instructor, you’ve seen my leave application, I plan to head back home tomorrow, my return won’t delay the regiment’s assessment. What do you think?”

”No problem at all.” I never concern myself with assessments anyway.

If anything, I’d rather Liang Erxi take his leave soon, then I wouldn’t have to work hard every day.

”Instructor, you know I can’t keep things in, some words I know I shouldn’t say, but it bothers me not to,”