Shadows of the Deep Space

Su Ming calmly turned his head and saw Chen Tong with his feet on the table, his face full of mockery.

However, Su Ming didn't get angry but calmly replied,

"Then you go!"

"Why should I, I'm not going."

Chen Tong replied with a sneer.

"If you're not going, then shut up, Mink, let's go!"

Su Ming didn't bother to argue with Chen Tong and stood up to walk towards Mink.

"Okay!"

Mink nodded.

However, just as Su Ming and Mink were about to leave, Chen Tong suddenly stood up and shouted.

"Wait!"

"What?"

Su Ming turned his head to look at Chen Tong.

At this moment, Chen Tong walked over in a swaggering manner and said,

"I want to go too."

"You said you weren't going, so why do you want to go now?"

Su Ming eyed Chen Tong as he responded.

"None of your business, I feel like it."

Chen Tong replied with an arrogant and irritating demeanor.

Mink, worried that Su Ming and Chen Tong would start arguing, quickly said,

"Since you want to go, let's go together. I believe Mr. Tang will be very glad to see us."

Su Ming didn't say much, and the three of them left together.

...

An hour later.

Su Ming and his friends arrived at a residential building near the school, and Mink stepped forward to knock on the door.

Knock Knock~

The tightly closed door soon opened, revealing a middle-aged woman with slightly graying hair and a wrinkled, kind face looking curiously at the three.

"Who are you?"

"Auntie, is this Mr. Tang's home? We are his students."

"Oh, yes, I'm his mother, please come in."

Tang Yan's mother warmly invited the three inside.

Su Ming looked around the house as he entered, noticing the somewhat old furniture like tables and chairs, and the living room was a bit small, the whole apartment probably only about eighty square meters.

"Why can't we see the teacher?"

Mink asked, puzzled.

"He's in that room, go ahead."

Tang Yan's mother said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, the three walked to the door of Tang Yan's room.

The door was ajar.

"Teacher, we've come to see you."

Mink called out, but there was no response.

Su Ming and his friends exchanged glances and then pushed the door open and walked in.

In the narrow room, the curtains were tightly drawn, making the light very dim.

The alarm clock on the bedside table kept ticking.

Their gazes landed on the bed, where they saw Tang Yan curled up on the edge, completely wrapped in a blanket, his head buried in his legs, like a wounded ostrich.

Mink stepped forward, cautiously asking with concern.

"Mr. Tang, are you alright?"

"Alright, how can I be alright, my life, my love..."

Tang Yan replied in a dejected mumble, his head buried.

Seeing Tang Yan in this state was troubling for Su Ming, but no matter what, he felt somewhat responsible, so he carefully offered some consolation.

"Mr. Tang, you need to pull yourself together. Although the dream is far away, life is about striving. As long as there's a glimmer of hope, we must not give up! When you succeed, all these hardships you've faced will seem like mere frost."

"You mean, there's still hope for me?"

Tang Yan slowly raised his head to look at Su Ming, his eyes filled with a glimmer of hope.

"Definitely, Mr. Tang. You're such a good person, you'll surely be rewarded."

Seeing Tang Yan grasping onto a sliver of hope, Mink rushed to persuade him.

Su Ming also quickly seized the moment to comfort him.

"Mr. Tang, you really must strive now. You're not fighting alone; you have us! As long as you educate us well, there's hope for your quota, and you can pursue your dreams."

"Yeah, I still have hope, just..."

Tang Yan's hope sparked faintly.

At that moment, Mink glanced at Chen Tong, signaling him with his eyes to say something instead of just standing there like a wooden statue.

Although Chen Tong was somewhat reluctant, he still spoke up.

"Mr. Tang, even though you're quite old, there's still hope."

"Ah, am I already old? It's really over, isn't it? You're just comforting me, aren't you? I really have no hope left."

Tang Yan's faint spark of hope was like doused by a bucket of cold water and completely extinguished. He buried his head back into his knees.

Su Ming and Mink looked toward Chen Tong simultaneously, their efforts to comfort him instantly ruined by his comment.

Chen Tong shrugged his shoulders, giving off an attitude of unintentional fault.

Su Ming and Mink had no choice but to continue comforting Mr. Tang.

"Mr. Tang, Chen Tong didn't mean it that way. You're not old at all, we have such long lives..."

...

More than an hour later.

Under the night sky, Su Ming and his two friends emerged discouraged from Mr. Tang's house, then walked along the deserted streets.

"Chen Tong, you said Su Ming doesn't know how to speak, but you're the same!"

Mink was truly frustrated. They had come to comfort Mr. Tang, but now the situation was even worse.

"Whatever, what could I do? He's too sensitive."

Chen Tong, with his hands in his pockets, replied disdainfully.

"You know Mr. Tang is fragile right now, and yet you speak without thinking. What are we going to do now? If Mr. Tang can't get his act together, we'll need to self-study tomorrow, and there won't be a substitute teacher."

Mink angrily responded.

"Not my problem, I couldn't care less."

Chen Tong stubbornly retorted.

Just then, Su Ming, who was walking in the front, suddenly stopped. Chen Tong and Mink, caught up in their argument, nearly bumped into him.

"Su Ming, why did you suddenly stop?"

Mink asked Su Ming, puzzled.

Su Ming didn't answer Mink, but frowned and looked ahead.

Mink and Chen Tong, sensing something was wrong, also looked ahead. They saw ten unsavory-looking, extravagantly dressed hooligans, each wielding a wooden stick, coming out of a nearby alley.

Leading them was a muscular man with a goatee, orange long hair, and a cigarette hanging from his mouth.

They walked straight up to Su Ming and his friends, blocking their way.

Suddenly, one of the gang members excitedly said,

"Brother Qiang, it's that fatso. We've finally caught him."

"No need to tell me."

Wang Qiang replied with a cold sneer.

Su Ming took a deep breath, realizing they had indeed come for him -- he truly had been careless for leaving the school.

But there was no point in regretting. What had to come, would come. Thus, Su Ming turned to Mink and said,

"They're here for me. It's got nothing to do with you. You guys go."

"No way, as the class president, how could I possibly abandon you?"

Mink, full of a sense of duty, assumed a boxing stance.

Seeing Mink wouldn't go, Su Ming turned to see Chen Tong still standing motionless and curiously asked,

"Why aren't you leaving?"

"Hmph, just because you tell me to leave, I should? Where's my dignity? I'm not leaving today."

Chen Tong replied defiantly.

"Alright, then we'll stick together."

Su Ming gave a resigned smile. Chen Tong might have a sharp tongue and act tough usually, but in a crunch, he really showed his loyalty.