The Outcast Chapter 13

A month had pa.s.sed. Based on the sayings of those from Highwood – the Federal Capital Star System, it should now be late autumn. In books, characteristics of late autumn were cold winds, drizzling rains and pale skies. However, the differences between the four seasons were never clear for those at Eastwood.  Perhaps this was due to the never clearing layer of dust on top of the atmosphere turning the whole planet into a bizarre gla.s.s house.  For them, the so called late autumn was merely putting on an extra layer of cloth.

Xu Le was wearing a navy blue jacket today. It resembled a uniform, adding a sense of vitality that a youngster should posses on that ordinary appearance of his. He was currently sitting outside the display window of the repair shop at Xiang-Lan Boulevard. He seemed carefree but in fact he was observing the movements across the street attentively.

The corner of the fourth block was where the second branch of Riverwest Police Department was located. A middle aged man in windbreaker was walking lazily down the moist steps. As he got into a car, the police officers around saluted him, yet at the same time they were also looking at him with sympathetic eyes.

Seeing this, Xu Le was relieved. He had been observing Bao Long Tao for a month. It seems like this deputy chief was indeed scared s.h.i.+tless by his so called federal secret service ident.i.ty and no longer dared to investigate the Bell Tower Street riot. Even the group of orphans led by Li Wei did not suffer any suppression.

Xu Le possessed a calmness surpa.s.sing his age and had an innate sensitivity towards certain matters. He would definitely not approach Bao Long Tao stupidly with a fake ident.i.ty to test whether Bao Long Tao could recognize him. He would also not give up observing Bao Long Tao just because everything appeared calm on the surface. He would simply monitor things attentively with patience until everything settled down.

Even though he, like the repair shop boss was also a fanatic supporter of Jian Shui Er, he would never perform such a dangerous act just for a TV show. This totally did not match his personality. If the repair shop boss did not entice him using the operation room, he would only let out a few sigh regarding this incident of the 23rd channel and simply proceeded to buy more of Jian Shui Er's CDs.

He can't stop feeling scared whenever he remembered that he was actually going against the Governor's Office.  This was especially true whenever he recalled that night where Bao Long Tao was looking at him.  His thighs would twitch without control as this was his natural reaction when frightened to a certain degree.

During that night, if he was not quick witted and used two b.u.t.tons as fake communication tool and the standard military electric rod to intimidate Bao Long Tao, he really had no idea how to handle that situation.  Under the night wind, the finger pointed at the electronic monitoring tool seemed steady and arrogant, yet in truth he was incomparably frightened.

"Pretending to be a federal secret service…" every time he thought of this, his face would look unsightly. He would lower his head and talk to himself, "It's not that I like to act cool, I simply want to be a good guy."

"In the first place, being a good guy is much harder than acting cool."  Boss Feng Yu that was just back from the recreation center swept pa.s.s Xu Le like a gust of wind and went upstairs to rest.

In the past two years, Xu Le had never appeared at the repair shop of Xiang-Lan Boulevard and had always performed his repairing works in the operation room of the mines. Hence in the eyes of Li Wei and the other orphans, he had been missing during daytime for two years.

This persists until one month ago when Xu Le was promised that the dust grade of the operation room would be increased by a level after completing that task for Feng Yu. Subsequently, Feng Yu felt lazy and brought Xu Le to the repair shop instead. At the very least, this would count as a formal introduction of the existence of this young apprentice to the fourth street neighbors.

Since the boss had returned, Xu Le no longer needs to watch the shop. The amount of business they get would be limited anyway. The fourth street residents were aware of the craftsmans.h.i.+p of Feng Yu and this small apprentice of his. However none could stand Feng Yu's speed where even a crystal screen TV would need a month to fix.

Tightening the b.u.t.tons on his student uniform-like clothing, Xu Le shouted something towards upstairs, walked out the shop and got on the trolleybus at the street corner.

After the invention of static agricultural high-energy batteries several hundred years ago, both tramcar and trolleybus shook off their shackles in form of the two braids on top of them and started going around the city freely. Of course, an ordinary household would surely have their own transportations. As for the rich residing on the three planets of Highwood, they had owned their own transportations long ago…

Only the poor or those filled with nostalgias towards the old ways would continue using trolleybus.  As someone that was in the extreme of both categories, Xu Le would naturally be a frequent pa.s.senger of the trolleybus. He leaned on the bus door and watched in daze as the city's constructions flashed by. He couldn't help feeling somewhat regretful that those "dang dang" noise described in various literatures could no longer be heard. (TL note: dang dang sound - sound made by traditional trolleybuses when moving)

Eastwood Riverwest State University was the last station of the trolleybus. After getting off the bus, Xu Le did not gaze in envy and admiration at the serene campus environment. Instead, he directly walked along the school perimeter wall pa.s.sing through a big tree and entered the library.

He stopped schooling a long time ago; however he still needed to read. For starters, this was Feng Yu's request of him. Besides that, this was also what he wanted himself. Apart from books related to engineering and federal regulations, he also enjoyed reading fictions of all sorts. Especially after he got a library card at State University, he would come at least once per day, as if there were endless beautiful woman amongst these books, a future of endless splendor awaiting him.

There were no happy encounters or beautiful women in the library. Xu Le came out of the library holding a big pile of books without the slightest bit of dispirited expression on his face and b.u.mped into an unexpected person at the front door of State University.

Li Wei that had not been seen for a month appeared just like this in front of Xu Le. Looking at the weak and exhausted appearance of this leader of orphans, Xu Le's lip felt dry. Not knowing what happened, he asked in a hoa.r.s.e voice, "Don't tell me that you even have the ambition to enter the university's examination."

"My ambition is only to conquer the nights of Riverwest State." Li Wei's voice was somewhat coa.r.s.e. His face however, did not look nervous causing Xu Le to loosen up.

"That thing you gave me…was confiscated by people from the second Police Department. You don't have to worry though; n.o.body knows it was mine." Li Wei licked his dry lips. He was in a fight against a different gang during the previous night, hence he was somewhat exhausted.

Xu Le's eyes flashed, however this was due to nervousness instead of excitement. His thighs started twitching uncontrollably and the books in his hands felt heavier.