Chapter 123: Visitation

"Lin Feng, stop right there!"

Yan Weihua stood up abruptly and shouted with a cold face.

"Is there something else?" Lin Feng stopped and turned back.

"Say that again!" Yan Weihua stared at Lin Feng with a stern gaze.

"Didn't hear me?" Lin Feng shrugged, and enunciated each word clearly: "I said, I am dropping out!"

"Dropping out? Fine, very well. I hope you don't regret your decision today!" Yan Weihua sneered.

"Sorry, the word 'regret' does not exist in my dictionary," Lin Feng said, then turned and walked away.

"Lin Feng, I swear, you will definitely regret this..."

Yan Weihua's roar echoed from the office.

"P-President Yan, if Lin Feng drops out just like that, won't it be bad for our school's reputation? It doesn't seem like asking for an exchange student spot is an unreasonable request," Guo Lingling said anxiously.

"What do you know!" Yan Weihua shot her a glare and fell into deep thought.

In truth, Lin Feng’s withdrawal was a massive loss for both the Beijing Institute of Physical Education and for himself. Although the institute was a top-tier sports university in the country, the national sports talent selection mechanism meant that the best prospects were usually in provincial teams. Therefore, the number of sports stars emerging from formal universities like this was small, and international-level stars were even rarer. If Lin Feng could have successfully joined the NBA as a student of the institute, it would have brought endless benefits to both the school and Yan Weihua personally. Thus, Yan Weihua never intended to alienate Lin Feng; he merely wanted to do a favor for Zhu Deli by stalling Lin Feng for a few days to gloss over the matter. He had not expected the timing to be so unfortunate that Guo Lingling would arrive to report on the exchange student quota at that exact moment.

Yan Weihua did not want things to reach this point, but since they had, he had to find a way to manage the situation and minimize the negative impact of Lin Feng’s departure.

"Xiao Guo, publish a statement on the school's official Weibo immediately. State that Lin Feng showed contempt for school rules and discipline, and the school has decided to expel him!" Yan Weihua said after a long silence.

"What?" Guo Lingling was shocked and hesitated. "President Yan, this... Lin Feng dropped out on his own. Is it necessary to say it like that?"

"Do as I say!" Yan Weihua glared at her. "What, do you not want to work here anymore?"

"Fine, all right..." Guo Lingling wanted to argue, but seeing Yan Weihua’s cold, sharp eyes, she finally compromised and walked out with her head lowered.

...

Standing at the main gate of the Beijing Institute of Physical Education, Lin Feng looked back at the campus where he had lived for nearly two years and let out a soft sigh.

In reality, when Lin Feng and Walker discussed how to join the Knicks in the United States, they had already anticipated countless possibilities. One of them was what to do if the school did not cooperate. Walker’s answer was that Lin Feng could simply drop out, and he would handle the logistics to get Lin Feng enrolled at Castle University directly.

People are often reluctant to admit that money is omnipotent, yet in most countries and most places, this statement holds true.

Some say money cannot buy time? Internet café manager, add two more dollars.

Some say money cannot buy knowledge? Teacher, here is my tuition.

Some say money cannot buy love? Mother-in-law, here is my dowry.

Some say money cannot buy health? Doctor, here is my red envelope.

Of course, these are jokes, but they confirm from a certain perspective that money is indeed omnipotent.

In truth, if he hadn't been forced into a corner, Lin Feng wouldn't have chosen to drop out. After all, this place held two years of his happy youth; he had experienced his first love and heartbreak here, and made a group of brothers.

However, the attitude Yan Weihua displayed made Lin Feng realize that someone must have been pulling strings behind the scenes. Otherwise, why would he refuse something that was beneficial to both the school and himself?

Lin Feng didn't want to waste his breath or time arguing with Yan Weihua, so he chose the fastest route: dropping out.

"Goodbye."

Lin Feng waved at the school gate and hailed a taxi to the detention center.

Qin Weiguo had already pulled strings, so Lin Feng had no trouble seeing Oulin, who was being held there temporarily. Although Oulin was a troublemaker, this was his first time in a place like this.

Seeing Oulin’s haggard face, Lin Feng felt a pang of sorrow and was filled with self-reproach.

"You're here!" Oulin grinned when he saw Lin Feng.

"When are you going to fix that impulsive temper of yours?" Lin Feng sighed.

"If a brother is being bullied, am I supposed to stand by and watch?" Oulin curled his lip. "If I were the one getting beaten up, would you just stand there?"

Lin Feng was speechless. After a long silence, he said solemnly, "Thanks, brother."

"Damn it, we don't say things like that!" Oulin swore, then added, "If you really care about me, hurry up and get me out of here. It’s not comfortable inside!"

"Don't worry, seven days at most," Lin Feng said.

"Fine, I'll endure it for a few more days," Oulin bared his teeth. "Got any cigarettes?"

"I've got them ready for you!" Lin Feng pulled a pack from his pocket and tossed it over. Oulin tore it open and lit one impatiently. "This was killing me."

"Those bastards at the Basketball Association didn't give you a hard time, did they? They kept trying to lead me into saying you were the one who ordered it. As if I'd fall for their tricks. Plus, I was afraid that if this got out, it would implicate you, so I didn't tell you," Oulin said while smoking.

Hearing Oulin’s words, Lin Feng felt a warmth in his heart. This was a true brother!

"If the Basketball Association gives you more trouble, just stop dealing with them. You're so good at music, why not just go into the entertainment industry? You’ll make as much money as an athlete. I probably can't go back to school either; after such a big incident, they'll surely expel me. So, I’m counting on you now. Once you get famous, I’ll follow you and be your agent," Oulin continued.

"Expulsion is fine. I dropped out an hour ago," Lin Feng smiled. "Like you said, once I make it big, you can join me. I can't promise much, but as long as I have a bite to eat, you’ll have one too."

"Deal, it's a promise." Oulin took a deep drag and asked, "So, why did you actually drop out?"

"It’s those bastards at the Basketball Association pulling strings behind the scenes..." Lin Feng explained his plan to join the NBA and his attempt to apply for the exchange student spot at the institute.

"Damn! Those bastards!" After hearing the story, Oulin cursed, then laughed. "But you're really something, heading to the NBA. You'll be playing with the 'foreign mares' next, haha! Once I get out, I'm coming to the States to find you, and you better set me up with one."

"Look at you, locked in a detention center and still thinking about that!" Lin Feng shot him a look.

"Food and sex are human nature; isn't that what life is all about?" Oulin gave a lewd smile.

"Fine, since you're suffering in here, I'll make sure to treat you well when you get out," Lin Feng said with a shrug and a smile.

"You got it, I'll hold you to that."