Feeling the bulging pocket of his school uniform, stuffed with cash, Lin Yu quickly devised a plan for the hefty sum. He would save 12,000 yuan for university tuition fees, allocate 1,000 yuan for daily expenses, and with the remaining amount, he planned to purchase a second-hand Hammer 4 phone—good enough for his needs, or even a counterfeit Hammer 7, if possible. Securing the phone would make Li Yuan’s chances of reclaiming the money slim.
Having plotted his spending, Lin Yu made his way towards the largest mobile phone mall in H City. After some haggling on the fourth floor, he bought a cheap second-hand Hammer 4 deviceand decided it was time to head home and rest.
While riding the escalator down, Lin Yu observed a primary school student ascending on the opposite one, backpack in tow, which suddenly reminded him of the homework tasks assigned by his teachers earlier that evening. Glancing at the time—it was half-past eight—Lin Yu felt a headache coming on. By the time he got home, it would be around 9 p.m., and completing assignments from all subjects would likely keep him up until 11 p.m.
"Am I just creating trouble for myself?" he pondered. Yet, ignoring the homework wasn't an option; having requested it himself, failing to complete it would be too embarrassing.
With a sigh of resignation, Lin Yu acknowledged the predicament as one of his own making.
After exiting the phone mall, Lin Yu set out to find a nearby stationery store for study essentials. Pens, notebooks, compasses, and rulers—Huang Mao hadn't kept a single piece of academic paraphernalia, treating the textbooks distributed by the school with equal neglect.
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The area around the mobile phone mall was teeming with all sorts of shops, part of a large entertainment complex. Lin Yu decided to scout the vicinity in hopes of locating a stationery store, sparing himself further hassle.
But after scouting the area, Lin Yu found himself perplexed. The neighborhood boasted an array of eateries, entertainment venues, and even an unmanned adult shop, yet a simple stationery store was nowhere to be found—an oddity that left him scratching his head.
After a moment of frustration, Lin Yu came to terms with the situation. Perhaps places like these weren’t meant to evoke the painful memories associated with academic pursuits.
He ventured out from the bustling entertainment area into a nearby old residential complex without strict entry controls, aiming for the inner parts where he expected to find a small store selling basic stationery items.
Soon enough, Lin Yu located a convenience shop selling what he needed. Having purchased the necessary stationery, he stepped out of the shop, glancing first to his left, then to his right. The left path led back to the familiar main street near the entertainment area, providing easy access to taxis or buses home. The right path offered a shortcut through the old complex to the city’s main thoroughfare, making it quicker but less likely he’d catch a bus—though hailing a taxi wouldn’t be a problem.
After a brief contemplation, Lin Yu opted for the unknown right path. It was getting late, and taking a taxi seemed the best way to ensure a swift return home. Since he wasn’t reliant on public transport and taxis were plentiful in the city, the right path through the old complex to the main road was clearly the better choice.