Ming Wu finally accepted that his brother was truly dead. He wandered the streets, lost and broken. His wounds hadn't healed, and it looked like he wouldn't survive much longer.
"Master, is this the guy you were looking for?" Ben had followed Liu A'dou for a long time before they finally found him—Ming Wu, unconscious in a corner of the park.
Liu A'dou had heard of Ming Wu through Ming Wen, who was one of the students he'd recruited for the Starschool. He never expected Ming Wen to get murdered. And the killer was likely from some secret organization—maybe Liangshan Outlaw, or something even more hidden.
But whoever it was, the recruitment mission had to go on. So Liu A'dou set his sights on Ming Wen's younger brother. After digging into his background, Liu A'dou found that although Ming Wu fought a lot, he never bullied the weak. In fact, he always fought against the bullies.
The problem was, picking fights with thugs got him arrested a lot, so he didn't exactly seem like a good person. He never tried to explain himself, either. Ming Wu actually liked living a life totally different from his brother's, walking the path of a street hero who protected the helpless.
"He's badly hurt," Kailan said.
"Yeah, I know. I'll take care of him," Liu A'dou replied. This choice had real drama. Ming Wu might end up just as strong as his brother.
In his dreams, Ming Wu was always falling short. Whether it was grades or manners, his parents praised Ming Wen and ignored him. Most kids grew up with that mythical "someone else's kid" to compete with. Ming Wu had it worse—his "someone else's kid" ate and slept under the same roof, getting compared to him nonstop.
Ming Wen was his rival. His enemy. At some point, Ming Wu started obsessing over beating his brother. But Ming Wen's talent was overwhelming. He wasn't just naturally gifted—he worked hard too. When the genius works just as hard as everyone else, it's game over.
Ming Wen, as the older brother, could feel the pressure coming from his little brother. Ming Wu wanted to catch up, so Ming Wen had to keep pushing forward. In a way, Ming Wu's obsession was the grindstone that sharpened Ming Wen's blade. It was Ming Wu's relentless pursuit that drove Ming Wen to keep getting better.
But now Ming Wen was dead. And Ming Wu, with no target to chase, lost his drive. After Liu A'dou saved him, Ming Wu sat like a zombie in front of him, saying nothing.
"Maybe it's time I told you the truth," Liu A'dou said. In this state, Ming Wu could never get into Starschool. "Your brother was murdered."
Sure enough, Ming Wu looked up. His eyes burned with fury.
Liu A'dou smiled. "Feeling alive now? If you want answers, come with me."
Then he led Ming Wu straight into a restaurant. Ever since returning home, Liu A'dou had picked up a bad habit—he thought about lunch while eating breakfast, planned dinner while eating lunch, and started dreaming of tomorrow's meals as soon as dinner ended. His whole day revolved around food.
"Master, what's for lunch?" As soon as food came up, Ben and Kailan lit up.
"You two only eat vegetarian stuff. What choices do you even have? Steamed eggs, tofu, rice noodles…" Liu A'dou said. "I'll order some crystal tofu for you."
"Crystal tofu?" Ben, a hardcore tofu lover, had never heard of it. "Master, what kind is that? Is it good?"
"Of course it's good."
Ming Wu looked at the three people in front of him, puzzled. A Chinese guy with two foreign disciples? What kind of combo was that? Though, those two foreigners actually spoke pretty good Mandarin. No—this wasn't the time to care about that. Ming Wu just wanted to know the truth about his brother's death.
"Tell me now. What happened to my brother?" Ming Wu asked.
"Eat first. Your body needs energy," Liu A'dou replied as he called for the dishes. "Even if you don't eat, I still have to. We'll talk after the meal."
Truth was, Ming Wu hadn't eaten in two days. He was starving. Three minutes later, he finished his bowl and set down his chopsticks, eyes locked on Liu A'dou.
"Good food is meant to be savored," Liu A'dou sighed dramatically. "You finishing doesn't count. You have to wait for me."
But with someone staring at him like that, Liu A'dou had no appetite left. He sighed and said, "Your brother was indeed murdered. The killer hasn't been caught yet, and the investigation is still ongoing. Sooner or later, they'll be brought to justice. But that's not why I'm here."
"Then what is?"
Liu A'dou pulled out the admission letter and handed it to Ming Wu. "I want you to take your brother's place and go to this school."
A school? Ming Wu had dropped out two years ago. He stared at the metal admission letter in confusion. It was made from some strange material. And now they wanted him to replace his brother? No way.
"I'm not going!" Ming Wu snapped.
"Why not? This is your last chance to prove you're better than your brother. This school is international, and it teaches completely different stuff. If you graduate at the top of the class, even if it doesn't prove you're better, at least it shows you're not worse. Everyone starts from scratch there," Liu A'dou tempted. "Don't you want to give it a shot?"
"I would've said yes in a heartbeat if he were still alive. But now? What's the point?" Ming Wu muttered.
"This really is tricky," Liu A'dou said, then added, "But if you join the school, we might consider giving you intel. That way, you'll find out who the killer is sooner. If you don't join, you'll just go back to your usual life. And classified info like this won't be your concern anymore."
"You?! Are you threatening me?"
"Yep. I am. Your call—join or not." Liu A'dou tapped the table with his finger and waited quietly.
He really did find this pair of brothers fascinating. A gifted elder brother, murdered. A stubborn twin brother, full of fire. Could Ming Wu step into his brother's shoes? Liu A'dou genuinely wanted to find out.
Ming Wen's death was a state secret? Ming Wu had no idea what his brother was even involved in. But now, it seemed the only way to uncover the truth was to accept the offer and enroll. He knew his small-time brawling wasn't going to break open a national secret.
"Fine. I'll do it," Ming Wu said at last, unable to resist the urge to hunt down the killer.
"Good. I knew you would." Liu A'dou handed the admission letter to him. "Keep this with you. It'll let you know when and where to go—probably in the next couple of days."
"Now go. Don't interrupt our meal."
"How do I contact you?"
"We'll meet again," Liu A'dou said, burying his face in his food.
Seeing Liu A'dou's attitude, Ming Wu knew he wasn't going to get any more answers. He stepped out of the restaurant—then suddenly realized something. His wounds were completely healed. He had no clue how or when it happened. Everything was strange, almost too strange. Maybe the school really did hold the answers.