049 The Waterfall Scheme (First Draft) 049 The Waterfall Scheme “Stop! What are you doing?” Just as Lu Yun and Li Guang each carried a heap of broken copper and iron to the base of the wall, ready to throw it over, a blinding flash of light erupted—accompanied by several sharp, thunderous shouts—that suddenly startled them. Li Guang shouted, “Goodness! Not good at all!” He dropped his belongings, stepped back two paces, leapt up the wall with a sudden burst, and then vanished in an instant. Lu Yun, having no experience in theft, watched in stunned silence as Li Guang soared over the wall and disappeared. Inside, he thought: “This short fellow has such agility! That wall is quite high—had I to climb it, I’d need some effort. Yet here he goes, completely gone in a flash!” It was clear that Li Guang was no different from Song Jiang’s fickle, wiry character, Shijian, who relied on speed and nimbleness. Before Lu Yun could settle his thoughts, several spotlights swept across the night sky, brightening around him. A few figures darted forward and immediately pinned him down, shouting, “Stay still!” Now it dawned on Lu Yun what had happened—oh no! He’d been caught for the very first time doing a theft. What a series of misfortunes! “Kid, you didn’t learn your lessons well,” one of them said, pressing firmly on his arms. “They’re going to take you straight to the Education Commission office.” Lu Yun didn’t know how he’d been pinned down—he felt his arms being painfully twisted, as if they might snap—but he realized now that he had done something wrong and was now in trouble. So, even though he wanted to speak, he simply bit down on his words and allowed himself to be escorted into the office without resistance. The Education Commission office was spacious, with walls painted white like jade, and lit by bright 150-degree lamps that made it shine as if daybreak had come. Lu Yun was carried in by several strong men while the Director of the Commission sat calmly in his chair, sipping tea and looking slightly weary. “You must have quite a bold spirit,” he said, “to break school property at night without thinking—wouldn’t you worry about being dismissed if caught?” Lu Yun gave a short hum, lifted his head proudly, as though ready to face any fate with grace. “Ah! Quite a sturdy fellow!” the Director wiped his bald head, then asked, “What’s your name? Which grade and class are you in?” Still silent, Lu Yun was now deeply shaken—not only because of what had just happened, but because of how his actions would be perceived throughout the school. He could imagine the reaction from Lu Xiao Ying alone—how shocked she’d be when she found out he’d been caught stealing. “Xiao Ying, I’m truly sorry,” Lu Yun said with a deep sense of regret. “For someone from my background to take such an interest in me—it’s like I’ve earned it through past lives. Yet here I am, failing to appreciate that very chance.” The Director listened patiently and then smiled. “By the way, this young man is named Lu Yun—he's a freshman who joined this year. Don’t let his youth fool you; he has quite a strong personality. Today alone, he beat up three students in Grade Nine—just plain troublemaking!” said a well-versed, polished young man standing nearby. Lu Yun felt completely defeated now—no matter what happened, it was clear that the only thing he could do was to accept whatever came next. “Ah! I’ll let you go,” the Director said calmly as he continued smoking and sipping tea. “Just release him.” The two men who had been holding Lu Yun’s arms stepped back, allowing him to stretch his sore limbs. He looked steadily at the Director with a quiet gaze. “Ah! You’re quite determined,” said the Director, smiling warmly. “Now tell me—what’s your partner’s name? I’m not the least bit inexperienced. As a party member, if you come clean, I’ll treat you gently. But if you refuse to speak, I might just send you to the police for a few days.” Lu Yun stood firm—he had been caught now, so he couldn’t risk exposing Li Guang as well. “Don’t you find it strange?” asked the Director, undeterred by Lu Yun’s quietness, “How we managed to catch you just at midnight—while your companion vanished right away upon seeing us?” Lu Yun felt a sudden jolt of realization: Of course! He hadn’t thought of that before. Now, slowly, he recalled every detail—the meeting with Li Guang, the conversation they’d had, and how fast Li Guang dug up the sports equipment when it came time to act—everything pointed clearly now. Oh! It was obvious—they had set up a *waterfall scheme* on him! He had been so easily swayed by temptation that he hadn’t seen through the ruse. Now regret filled his heart. “At about 12 o’clock, someone reported to us that there was an attempted theft of sports equipment on campus—so we took note and prepared accordingly,” said the Director. “But only at half past twelve did I see a figure sprinting toward the field and then knocking on my door—only then did I believe it was real. And when I arrived, I found you right there, caught in the act—with evidence of your crime! What else do you have to say?” Lu Yun lowered his head silently, his mind swirling with emotions he couldn’t express. “Director,” he said finally, “I’ll tell you everything—I know all about it now.” With no choice left but to admit defeat, Lu Yun shared in full detail the entire sequence of events involving Li Guang. The Director nodded approvingly and then turned to the young men standing beside him, saying, “Take him to rest first. Tomorrow, we’ll investigate Li Guang’s true identity.” True identity? Could it be that Li Guang wasn’t even a student at all?! Lu Yun stood completely stunned. “Now go,” said one of the young men with a sigh—seeming to share in his own disappointment over Lu Yun’s lapse. As Lu Yun looked around, he realized instantly—the group of young men were actually the school’s physical education teachers. That explained their strong grip! One of them, in particular, was someone Lu Yun had known well. He now shook his head slowly and murmured thoughtfully, trying to understand how such a thing could have happened. After all, although Lu Yun wasn’t academically strong, he excelled in sports—especially football—and had always drawn the special attention of this Wang surname physical education teacher. Dazed and confused, Lu Yun didn’t know how he’d made it out of the office. As he followed the teachers to a room, only when he looked inside did he realize that now he was alone with his PE instructor. “Lu Yun,” said the teacher, “I don’t understand why you’ve done this—what made you decide to take such a step? You… Well, go rest now. We’ll make our final decision tomorrow.” ... Rural Beauty – Chapter 049 The Waterfall Scheme (First Draft) – Complete!