Because there is still a story taking shape in my mind.

Fatty asked, “What are you doing?”

Zhang Pa replied, “Waiting for someone.”

“Who are you waiting for?”

“Those four little monkeys,” Zhang Pa answered.

Fatty said, “You really have nothing better to do.” Then he added, “Zhang the Hero, I truly admire you.”

“Are you sick?” Zhang Pa asked.

Fatty sat down beside him. “Ten thousand—gone before it even warmed my pocket? Impressive.”

Turtle stepped forward. “If you keep being so impressive, you’ll end up with no friends.”

Zhang Pa shook his head and said nothing.

After a while, the four monkey kids who had helped in the fight the other day arrived. When they saw them, they hurried over to greet, “Brother Zhang, Brother Fatty, Brother Turtle!”

Zhang Pa stood up and said, “Come with me.”

“Where to?” one of them asked.

Zhang Pa didn’t answer and led them toward the basketball court.

Once they followed, Zhang Pa stopped and said, “I’m in a good mood, so I’ll give you all a lesson.”

“What kind of lesson?” another asked.

Zhang Pa said, “Marxism-Leninism. I’m going to set you straight on your outlook on life.”

“Stop joking, Brother Zhang,” one of the kids replied with a laugh.

“From tomorrow on, you have only three places you can go: school, the hospital, or home. You must go to school, after school come help out at the hospital, then head straight home. If you’re not in school during class, you can try and see what happens,” Zhang Pa said. “Oh, and tomorrow morning I’ll be at your school. If anyone skips class, there’ll be a surprise.”

“Brother Zhang, what’s this about?” the four kids tried to cozy up to him.

Zhang Pa replied, “Third floor of the inpatient ward. Remember what I said.” With that, he walked away. The four kids exchanged glances, and one suggested, “Let’s go check on Monkey first.” So off they went to the inpatient ward.

Meanwhile, Fatty grinned and asked, “What’s this, you want to be a teacher now?”

“It’s not that I want to be a teacher. I just don’t want them to end up like Old Qiu, stabbed to death, or like Old Niu, Dezi, and Zhu San’er, all locked up,” Zhang Pa said, then gave Fatty a sharp kick. “You’re just lucky, or you’d be dead by now.”

Fatty curled his lip. “Don’t think you can insult my dignity just because you can fight better.”

Zhang Pa also curled his lip. Once they left the hospital, he quickly flagged down a taxi to hurry home to work.

In the cab, Fatty said, “Let’s stop by Big Tiger first. I’ll buy you some barbecue. You can’t work on an empty stomach.”

Zhang Pa agreed.

Fatty sighed, “You’re really something. Ten thousand! That’s ten thousand! Ten thousand bucks!”

Zhang Pa replied, “Just pretend I never won it.”

“Alright, you never won it,” Fatty said. “Even if you didn’t want it, you could have invested it in the film crew, picked out a pretty girl to act.”

Zhang Pa asked, “Are you planning to use public money for private gain?”

“What?” Fatty pretended not to understand.

Zhang Pa said, “You know I’m using you as the lead, trying to get yourself some perks, aren’t you?”

“I just want to do a good job with the web series, for everyone’s sake, for our careers. How is that for my own benefit?” Fatty denied.

Zhang Pa said, “The money has to be spent anyway. Whether it’s on filming or medicine, it’s all the same.”

“Alright, it’s different,” Fatty said. “Uncle will treat you to barbecue, eat your fill and then get back to work.”

Zhang Pa agreed.

So they had barbecue. After three bottles of beer, Zhang Pa, eyes red, asked, “Did I do something foolish?”

“What?” Fatty asked.

“How did I end up giving away all that money?” Zhang Pa said. “Ten thousand, that’s ten thousand! Just thinking about it hurts.”

Fatty said, “At last, you’re acting like a normal person.”

Zhang Pa pondered for a bit, then got up and crooked his finger at Fatty. “Come here.”

Fatty asked what for.

Zhang Pa beckoned Turtle over too. “You two bastards, you knew I was broke, so when I was all fired up and pretending to be a big shot, why didn’t you stop me?”

Turtle glanced at Fatty and whispered, “Three bottles too much?”

“Probably,” Fatty replied.

Turtle said, “Then what are we waiting for?” He shouted to Big Tiger, “Boss, put it on the tab!” And with that, Turtle and Fatty darted off like the wind.

Zhang Pa, furious, shouted after them, “You dare run?” He took off in pursuit, yelling, “My ten thousand yuan…”

The chase lasted ten minutes, but with no sign of them, Zhang Pa had no choice but to go home, frustrated, and get to work. The ten thousand was gone, but he couldn’t afford to lose his attendance bonus too. He had to cut his losses, he just had to!

With the help of three bottles of beer and the regret of losing ten thousand yuan, his emotions were finally vented, and he managed to write two good chapters. After uploading the story, he collapsed into bed, still muttering, “My ten thousand yuan…”

The next morning, after tidying himself up, he went to the middle school where Monkey studied—No. 119 Secondary School.

No. 119 lived up to its name: from the principal down, everyone had a fiery temper. These days, corporal punishment was strictly forbidden, yet just last month, a student was hospitalized after being beaten by a teacher for cheating on an exam.

The teacher claimed it was just two slaps, but the parents wouldn’t accept it; they insisted on hospitalization and compensation, causing a huge stir.

Monkey’s homeroom teacher was Liu Fangfang, thirty years old, glasses perched on her nose.

When Zhang Pa arrived, Ms. Liu was in class. He had to wait a while before he could speak to her.

Ms. Liu asked what the matter was.

Zhang Pa introduced himself, “I’m Yun Zheng’s neighbor. His mother is sick in the hospital, and the family has no money. That’s why Yun Zheng did something foolish. I’m here to apologize.”

Ms. Liu glanced at him. “Yun Zheng? The school has decided to expel him. No need to come back.”

“Ms. Liu, could we discuss this? Even probation would be fine.”

“The school’s decision isn’t a negotiation at a market stall,” Ms. Liu replied.

“It’s not bargaining. I’m just asking for one last chance. If anything like this happens again, expel him—I’ll help you do it. But right now, it’s a special situation. Yun Zheng’s mother is barely holding on because there’s no money for surgery. She doesn’t even know he was caught stealing and taken to the police, let alone that he’s been expelled. If she found out now, with all the anxiety and stress, it could be the end for her.”

As he spoke, Zhang Pa watched her expression, then continued, “I’m telling the truth. If you don’t believe me, come with me to the hospital… To be honest, the family really has no money. It was us neighbors who scraped together enough for the surgery, if we’re lucky.”

Ms. Liu just listened, saying nothing.

Zhang Pa pressed on, “Please, help plead his case. To be fair, the kid does need discipline, but right now is not the time—this could end in tragedy… You know he comes from a single-parent home, right? Actually, his mother never married; no one knows who the father is. The house is rented. She’s really struggling. You’re a woman too, please show some compassion to a poor woman, make an exception, please?”

Ms. Liu sighed, “Alright, I’ll go talk to the director. Wait here.” She stood up and left.

Twenty minutes later, she returned and told Zhang Pa, “This is the last chance. He’ll get a demerit, and if anything like this happens again, he’ll definitely be expelled. Nothing you say then will help.”

Zhang Pa promised over and over, thanked her profusely, practically overflowing with gratitude.

Seeing how much he cared, Ms. Liu asked, “What’s your relationship to Yun Zheng’s mother?”

Zhang Pa hurriedly replied, “Stop right there, don’t get the wrong idea. I have nothing to do with their family, not a bit.” As he said this, his heart bled—no connection, yet why had he handed over ten thousand yuan?

Ms. Liu smiled. “Alright, I understand. Have Yun Zheng come back to class. Can he do that tomorrow?”

Zhang Pa asked, “Could it be next week? He has to look after his mother—there are no relatives at all.”

Ms. Liu thought a moment and agreed, then added, “You really are kindhearted.”

“I don’t want to be, not at all,” Zhang Pa replied.

Ms. Liu said, “Alright, that’s it then. Anything else?”

“No, thank you, Ms. Liu.” With that, Zhang Pa thanked her and left.

That was the only thing he did that morning. Afterward, he called Monkey. “Where are you?”

Monkey said he was at the hospital.

Zhang Pa said, “Take good care of your mom. I talked to your homeroom teacher. You’re not expelled, just for now—come back next week for classes.”

“Huh?” Monkey was a bit surprised.

“Huh what? Listen, your mom’s sick, I gave ten thousand. Even if it’s just for show, shouldn’t you at least keep up appearances for a few years?” Zhang Pa said.

“Thank you, Brother Zhang. I will,” Monkey replied.

What a headache. You call that keeping up appearances? Zhang Pa sighed. “Just focus on school. And those other idiots with you… By the way, I’m going to find those idiots. Hanging up now.” He hung up and went back to the school building, checking each class.

He didn’t want to do this, but he only remembered their nicknames, not their real names.

After a bit of wandering, the bell rang for break. He grabbed a cocky-looking kid to ask.

Those few little troublemakers were notorious at school; everyone knew them. Zhang Pa waited outside the classroom, and when class started, he looked in—annoying as it was, not one of the four was there.

Zhang Pa called Monkey and asked him to send over their numbers.

The four little troublemakers were together, plotting to steal scrap metal from the train station warehouse—still trying to raise money for Monkey.

When Zhang Pa called, they flat-out denied everything.

Zhang Pa said, “I’m at your school, waiting for you.”

“We’ll come, but you can’t hit us.”

“You want to bargain with me?” Zhang Pa said. “One hour. I’ll wait an hour.” He hung up.

The four kids talked it over and hurried back, but as soon as they appeared at the school gate, Zhang Pa knocked them all to the ground.

He really hit them—one kick sent a kid flying over two meters.

After knocking them down, Zhang Pa said, “Where’s the knife?”

“We didn’t bring it,” the four muttered, carefully getting up. “Big bro, have you vented your anger?”

Zhang Pa was speechless for a moment, then finally said, “Maybe I didn’t make myself clear yesterday, so I’ll say it again. Go to class. If you skip, don’t bother going home at night.” With that, he left without even glancing at the four.