I Want to Be a Hero

He returned home straightaway after school.

His father couldn’t move his legs anymore and could only get about using a wheelchair. Due to his father’s disability, Mo Xiaofei had helped out with the housework ever since he started to understand their situation.

He finished cooking dinner swiftly, leaving a portion for his mother who hadn’t come back yet, then walked into his father’s room.

Though disabled, in Mo Xiaofei’s opinion, his father didn’t become passive or frustrated, rather, he faced life with a positive attitude.

Since he lost both legs, his father couldn’t work anymore. From then on, he started to learn wood sculpting and set up his own online store. Business was neither good nor bad. Together with his mother’s wage, their life was considered alright.

“Dad, come have dinner.”

His father---Mo Hongqi’s sideburns were already gray. After he heard his son’s calling, he set down the sculpting knife and gave a smile. “OK.”

He pulled the wheelchair over to himself, holding the chair to support his body and tried to move over. Mo Xiaofei hurriedly came over to help.

Each time he saw this, Mo Xiaofei felt ineffably grieved. His father was a strong man and could lift him up easily during his childhood.

He always climbed on top of his father’s arm, hanging himself in the air, both he and his father had fun during those times. But now, it was hard to achieve this kind of actions.

Mo Hongqi used to be a fireman before the accident. Ever since Mo Xiaofei was a child, his father had been a hero in his heart. He used to dream of becoming a fireman, a hero who would rescue people’s lives when they were in danger after he grew up, just like his father.

Mo Xiaofei felt rather impulsive today… No one knew the reason.

“Dad… do you ever regret your decision at the fire that year?”

Mo Hongqi gave a start, raising his head and looking at his son, saying softly, “Now, aren’t we living well anyway?”

Mo Xiaofei fell silent. His father was forever a true hero in his heart even though he couldn’t stand any longer. His father was positive and optimistic and never felt self-abased on account of his physical condition.

But he, on the other hand, was… coward.

He didn’t dare to make a sound even though he was bullied because he was afraid that it’d make trouble for his family… he was even more unwilling to let his father stand up for him.

After dinner, Mo Xiaofei went back to his room. He stared at the electronic alarm clock in a daze. The words from Blondie wandered around in his mind.

He was unwilling to witness any more misfortune befall his father who just had been managed to cheer up.

Mo Xiaofei gritted his teeth, he couldn’t be a coward anymore! Therefore, after giving an excuse, he left his house, arriving at the place which the blond hair Brother Quan instructed him to be.

Those students were there again… This was the back door of an automotive repair shop. When Mo Xiaofei came, those guys were chatting.

“You came. Quite punctual.” The blond hair Brother Quan walked to Mo Xiaofei and nodded.

At that time, the Brother Quan fished out the key and opened the back door before driving a car out, saying, “You guys, get in the car.”

Mo Xiaofei hesitated for a while. In the end, he was reluctantly dragged in by some of the students into the car.

Soon, the car had been stopped outside a bar. Brother Quan took them into an alleyway. It was then the back door of the bar opened and a man walked out. He passed a black bag to Brother Quan and also said something.

Only after the man went back and closed the door did Brother Quan return. He took out a small pack which was full of white powder. Then, he stuffed the small pack into his own pocket with a smile. “Later on, you guys send these items to the appointed place as per my orders. Someone will be there waiting for you.”

“Brother Quan… Wasn’t it Mo Xiaofei who was the one that would be delivering them,” one of the students said in a strange voice. “We… need to as well?”

Brother Quan snorted. “Are you idiots? Is he able to send them all in one night?”

He then continued, “But be assured, I won’t let you do it for free. After sending it all, I’ll give each one 300 yuan as a reward.”

All of them hesitated. However, at this time, Mo Xiaofei knitted his brows. “What’s this?”

Brother Quan smirked. “It’s an excellent thing… Why? Do you want to have a try?”

Somehow, Mo Xiaofei suddenly became courageous. Taking advantage that the Brother Quan was distracted, he snatched the whole bag and hugged it in his arms.

“What the hell are you doing?” Brother Quan became furious.

Mo Xiaofei gnashed his teeth, taking a few steps back and turned to run away. He didn't know where his courage came from… He had a pretty good guess about what the white powder was.

His father had been being an upright and grave person all his life, rescuing people regardless of his own personal safety.

As his son, Mo Xiaofei thought even if he was weak in character, he could never do something to harm people---He had not thought about the consequences, merely letting the blood rush to his head.

However, after running for a certain distance, he found the weak him was not able to escape. Then, he could not help regretting his rash decision.

Damn! It was a dead end! Why is it a dead end?

Looking at Brother Quan and the several other students, Mo Xiaofei leaned against the wall, saying in a quivering voice, “Don’t come over here! Or I’ll throw this away!”

“Do it.” Brother Quan sneered. “Let’s see how far can you throw it. Or you eat it all if you’re brave! Go get it back!”

Once Brother Quan gave the order, those students dashed towards Mo Xiaofei immediately. Someone reached out for the bag in his hand. As he was panicked, Mo Xiaofei threw the bag---to the other side of the wall.

Brother Quan was dumbfounded. He exploded in anger. “Hold down this guy! Wait for me to come back and teach him a lesson!”

Brother Quan started estimating the height of the wall. Ultimately, he chose to take a detour to get it. Listening to the faint beat from the other side of the wall, it was perhaps the back alley of a dance hall or a bar.

…

…

Crack.

The small bag fell near the feet of a shadow.

The club’s servant girl lowered her head and glanced downwards, seeing many pouch packets falling out of the black bag. She picked and opened one, before smelling it.

“Seems I don’t have to buy it… Saves me some time then.”

With a smile, You Ye walked out of this alley like a queen of the night---she didn’t care what happened to the other side of the wall, it was not her business. As long as she finished the task that the boss ordered her to do, it was all good.

…

…

After a short while, Brother Quan came back in a rage. He looked at those students, then looked at Mo Xiaofei before kicking him in the belly mercilessly. “You’ve lost one ten thousand worth of goods of mine! Are you f*ckin courting death?!!”

Mo Xiaofei wanted to retaliate but he couldn’t move after being controlled by several students. Every blow of Brother Quan’s fist was like hammer strike, hitting him into a world of pain.

“Brother Quan, stop. He’s spitting out blood already!” a student said in a flurried tone. “You’ll beat him to death!”

Brother Quan kicked Mo Xiaofei one more time, then spat. “If I can’t find it, you’ll see how your whole family die!”

Mo Xiaofei fainted in pain.

He didn’t know when he woke up. He just felt like all his bones were broken and the alley had turned bright… it seemed the night had passed.

Mo Xiaofei crawled on the ground with difficulty, trying to be out of the alley.

‘I achieved nothing; instead, I caused more trouble?’

‘I only want to be a straight and strong man like my father.’

‘Am I still a useless person?’

Mo Xiaofei’s vision blurred. As he crawled, he seemed to enter some other place.

There was a person suddenly asking him, “Dear customer, what do you need?”

‘Need?’

‘What do I need?’

“I… I need power… I want to become a hero that can protect my family…”