Great Power Reclamation

On the last weekend of October, Yi-Ni Ye's London concert was held at the O2 Arena.

Ye Guigen and Hans arrived an hour early, and a long line had already formed at the entrance.

Most of them were young girls, holding up support signs that read "Ye Yini, I love you" in various languages.

Hans was as excited as a child, constantly taking pictures with his phone.

"My sister is so popular?" Ye Guigen was somewhat surprised.

"Of course! Her songs have over 100 million streams!"

Hans's eyes lit up, "And she never hypes herself up, she just quietly writes and sings songs, she's incredibly talented."

Ye Guigen recalled that when he was a child in the military reclamation city, Ye Yini came back with her second aunt Yuanfang for the New Year. She had two little braids and timidly called him "brother".

She was only five years old then, randomly pressing keys on the piano and turning around to smile at him. Who could have imagined that more than a decade later, she would be on a stage thousands of miles away, having her name called out by tens of thousands of people?

After entering, they were seated in the front row of the inner field; Hans had bought the tickets three months in advance. When the lights dimmed, the entire stadium erupted in deafening screams.

The stage lights came on, and Ye Yini, dressed in a white dress, sat in front of the piano. The spotlight shone on her, making her look like an angel.

The first song she sang was "The Light in the Distance".

"Someone in the distance lights a lamp; I can't see him, but I see the light..."

Ye Guigen listened, his eyes welling up with tears. He knew what the song was about—

It was my grandfather's generation, the people who built the military reclamation city on the Gobi Desert, the people who lit the lights in the darkness.

Halfway through her song, Ye Yini suddenly looked in a certain direction from the audience and smiled slightly. Ye Guigen's heart skipped a beat. Had she seen him?
After the concert ended, Hans pulled him to wait at the entrance, saying that if they were lucky, they might see Ye Yini come out.

After waiting for almost an hour, the crowd gradually dispersed, and Hans was disheartened. Just as he was about to leave, a staff member approached him:

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Ye Guigen?"

Ye Guigen nodded.

"plz follow me."

They were led backstage. Ye Yini was removing her makeup when she saw Ye Guigen enter. She jumped up and threw herself into his arms, crying, "Brother!"

Hans stared wide-eyed, too excited to speak.

Ye Guigen patted his sister on the back: "You sang so well."

"You're lying, you definitely weren't listening carefully." Ye Yini let go of him, pouting.
"I heard you were in London and someone reserved the best tickets for you, but you just spaced out the whole time."

Ye Guigen smiled: "I'm listening. Especially 'The Light in the Distance'."

Ye Yini's eyes lit up: "That song was written for Grandpa and the others. When I was writing it, I imagined them lighting a campfire on the Gobi Desert. Brother, do you think they knew back then that there would be a city there?"

“I don’t know,” Ye Guigen said, “but they believe it will happen.”

Hans finally found an opportunity to interject: "Miss Ye, I'm Hans, your brother's roommate, and your biggest fan. Could you please sign an autograph for me?"

Ye Yini smiled and took the pen, signed the album he handed her, and even drew a heart on it. Hans almost fainted.

That evening, Ye Guigen and Ye Yini sat in the hotel coffee shop for a while.

My younger sister has grown up. She's no longer the little girl with pigtails. She speaks clearly and has a determined look in her eyes.

"Brother, have you been having something on your mind lately?" Ye Yini suddenly asked.

Ye Guigen was taken aback: "How did you know?"

“I’m looking into your eyes,” she said. “We don’t see each other often, but I remember what you looked like when you were little. Your eyes would crinkle when you were happy, but they don’t anymore.”

Ye Guigen was silent for a moment: "There's a girl..."

Where is my sister-in-law?

“She’s a girl too.” Ye Guigen smiled wryly. “I don’t know what happened.”

Ye Yini looked at him earnestly: "Brother, when it comes to relationships, don't force yourself, and don't hurt others. Have you thought it through?"

"I haven't thought it through."

“Then take your time to think about it.” She held his hand. “Anyway, you’re still young, only eighteen. Grandpa said that the men of the Ye family are not afraid of taking detours, they are afraid of not taking any.”

Ye Guigen nodded.

The next day, Monday, Ye Guigen went to class. When he entered the classroom, he found Li Ming sitting next to his usual seat, talking to Meixue.

Miyuki saw him, smiled, and waved. Li Ming glanced back, his smile fading slightly.

During class, the professor discussed case studies in development economics, but Ye Guigen listened absentmindedly. He kept glancing at Meixue without realizing it.

She wore her hair in a ponytail today, revealing her smooth forehead. As she looked down to take notes, a few stray hairs fell down, which she tucked behind her ear with her pen.

This small gesture made his heart skip a beat.

The bell rang, and Miyuki came over: "Did you go to your sister's concert this weekend? Emily said you posted photos on your WeChat Moments."

"Yes, she is my sister."

“I know, Emily said so.” Miyuki blinked. “Your sister is so pretty, and she sings so well. Remember to call me next time she comes.”

Li Ming walked over at some point and interjected, "Meixue, want to have lunch together? I know a newly opened Japanese restaurant."

Meixue looked at him, then at Ye Guigen: "I have an appointment with Ye Guigen for coffee."

Li Ming's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his smile: "Then let's go together, it's more fun with more people."

Just as Miyuki was about to speak, Ye Guigen said, "Next time, I have something to do today."

Li Ming glanced at him, smiled, and said, "Okay, then another day."

At noon, Ye Guigen and Meixue were in the school cafeteria. Meixue stirred her coffee and suddenly asked, "Did you deliberately send Li Ming away?"

Ye Guigen did not deny it.

"You don't like him?"

"I don't really like it."

Miyuki laughed: "He doesn't like you either. He asked me about you, what your family does, whether you have a girlfriend, and his tone was strange."

Ye Guigen frowned: "What do you mean?"

“I said I didn’t know, and I’m not familiar with him.” Meixue looked at him. “Ye Guigen, it seems like he’s targeting you. Be careful.”

Ye Guigen nodded.

That evening, Ye Guigen and Raj were writing their papers in the library. Raj suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Li Ming is telling people outside that you're using your family's wealth and power to steal the girl he's interested in."

Ye Guigen was taken aback: "Which girl?"

“Miyuki. He said Miyuki used to have feelings for him, but you got involved.”

Ye Guigen sneered: "Is he out of his mind?"

"Just be careful," Raj said. "These kinds of people are all smiles to your face, but they stab you in the back."

Ye Guigen didn't take it too seriously. But the next day, he witnessed Li Ming's "knife".

It was a group discussion class on development economics, and Ye Guigen, Raj, Meixue, and Li Ming were in the same group.

The topic of discussion was "The Impact of Foreign Capital on Agriculture in Developing Countries".

Li Ming spoke sarcastically throughout, saying, "Some families invest in projects in Africa, claiming it's for charity, but in reality they're just hoarding land and resources."

Ye Guigen looked up at him: "What do you mean?"

"It doesn't mean anything," Li Ming said with a smile. "I'm just saying that capital is all about profit, it's just wearing the cloak of charity. Ye Guigen, don't you think so?"

Ye Guigen stared at him without saying a word.

Miyuki changed the subject: "Let's talk about the case study. This case of agricultural modernization in Africa is very interesting..."

After class, Ye Guigen called Li Ming over in the corridor: "Say what you just said again."

Li Ming turned around, a smile still on his face: "What? Did I hit a nerve? Who in the industry doesn't know about your Ye family's affairs? Doing finance in the US, running businesses in China, and acquiring land in Africa. You say your fund is impact investing, but isn't it just money laundering?"

Ye Guigen clenched his fist, then relaxed it.

"What? You want to hit me?" Li Ming took a step closer, lowering his voice. "Go ahead and hit me. If you do, I'll make sure you can't stay at school. The London School of Economics has zero tolerance for violence, don't you know that?" Ye Guigen stared at him, then suddenly laughed: "You've gone to all this trouble, isn't it all because of Meixue?"

Li Ming's expression changed.

“She doesn’t like you, and that has nothing to do with me,” Ye Guigen said. “Even if you get rid of me, she still won’t look down on someone like you.”

After saying that, he turned and left, leaving Li Ming with a livid face.

Over the weekend, Miyuki invited Ye Guigen to see a movie. It was a Japanese animated film about a young boy pursuing his dreams.

The movie theater was dark. The two sat side by side, exchanging a few words occasionally. When the scene became touching, Meixue gently sniffed, and Ye Guigen hesitated for a moment before handing her a tissue.

The movie ended, and the two walked out. It was raining outside; neither Meixue nor Ye Guigen had brought an umbrella. They stood at the theater entrance, staring blankly at the rain.

"It's raining again," Miyuki said.

"Ah."

After a moment of silence, Miyuki suddenly said, "Ye Guigen, I think I might like you a little."

Ye Guigen turned to look at her.

Miyuki didn't look at him, staring at the rain: "I know I shouldn't. You have a girlfriend, and I've said we'll only be friends. But..." She paused, "...some things are beyond our control."

Ye Guigen's heart raced. He wanted to say something, but his throat was dry.

Miyuki finally turned to look at him: "You don't need to answer. I just want you to know."

She tiptoed and gently kissed him on the lips, then stepped back and smiled.
"Okay, now I understand. Go back and think about it slowly."

After saying that, he rushed into the rain and ran away.

Ye Guigen stood still, soaked to the bone by the rain, but he felt nothing at all.

He couldn't sleep that night.

On Monday in class, Ye Guigen noticed that Meixue sat far away from him and didn't greet him. After class, she was the first to leave, as if deliberately avoiding him.

Raj noticed something was wrong: "What's going on between you two?"

"do not know."

"You haven't thought it through yet?"

Ye Guigen shook his head.

Raj sighed: "Brother, no one can help you with this. But the longer you drag it out, the more people will get hurt."

Ye Guigen certainly knew. But he really didn't know what to do.

On Wednesday night, the accident happened.

Ye Guigen was walking back to his dormitory from the library when he was suddenly pushed from behind as he passed through a small alley. He stumbled a few steps, steadied himself, and turned around to see three dark figures.

The leader was Li Ming, and the two people next to him were unfamiliar faces who looked like they were from outside the school.

“Let’s talk about returning to our roots,” Li Ming said with a sinister smile.

Ye Guigen glanced around. The alley was dark, there were no security cameras, and people occasionally passed by in the distance, but no one paid any attention to this side.

"What do you want to talk about?"

“Stay away from Meixue,” Li Ming said, approaching her. “Also, if you see me at school in the future, avoid me. Otherwise…”

He waved his hand, and two thugs surrounded him.

Ye Guigen stared at them, then suddenly laughed: "Li Ming, you're really stupid."

Li Ming was taken aback.

"If you hire someone to beat me up, and I fight back, it's a mutual fight. If I don't fight back, it's being bullied."

Ye Guigen said, "No matter what it is, the school will investigate. Hiring someone outside the school is even more serious. Have you thought about the consequences?"

Li Ming's expression changed, but he quickly recovered: "Trying to scare me? If I send someone to mess with you, who would know?"

“I understand now,” Ye Guigen said. “Do you think I wouldn’t call the police?”

"Go ahead and report it. Do you have any evidence?"

Ye Guigen slowly rolled up his sleeves: "No evidence is needed."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly moved.

He didn't waste those two years in the military reclamation city. In street fights, the most important thing is to strike first.

He punched the man on his left in the nose, who screamed and covered his face. The man on his right rushed forward, but he dodged to the side and kicked him in the back of the knee, sending him sprawling to his knees.

Li Ming was terrified and turned to run. Ye Guigen caught up with him in a few steps, grabbed him by the collar, and pinned him against the wall.

“Li Ming, this is my last warning.” Ye Guigen stared into his eyes:

"Stay away from me, stay away from Miyuki. If I see you doing these kinds of things again, I can't guarantee what will happen."

Li Ming's face turned pale, and he nodded repeatedly.

Ye Guigen released him, turned around and left.

Once he stepped out of the alley, he realized his hands were trembling. It wasn't fear, but the aftereffect of the adrenaline rush. He took a few deep breaths and slowly calmed down.

Back in the dorm, Hans was listening to music. When he saw him come in, he took off his headphones and said, "You look terrible. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I just ran a few steps."

He washed his face and lay down on the bed. His mind was a jumbled mess: images of the fight, Li Ming's face, Mei Xue's kiss, and Elizabeth's gaze—all mixed together.

Li Ming didn't come to class the next day. He didn't come the third day either. After inquiring, Raj said that he had taken sick leave and was supposedly going to take a break from school for a while.

Ye Guigen knew it wasn't a sick leave.

But he didn't tell anyone.

On Friday evening, Ye Guigen received a call from Elizabeth.

"Gui Gen, are you free tomorrow? I want to see you."

Ye Guigen was silent for a few seconds: "Okay."

The next day, they met on the banks of the Thames. Elizabeth was dressed casually, without makeup, and looked somewhat tired. They walked along the river, neither speaking first.

After walking for a while, Elizabeth stopped and turned to face him.

"Ultimately, I've thought about it for a long time," she said. "There might indeed be a problem between us."

Ye Guigen looked at her.

"I was taught from a young age to put my career first. Relationships are a bonus, not a necessity."

She smiled wryly, "But after meeting you, I slowly realized that what I really wanted was someone to accompany me, someone to share with, and someone to hug me when I was tired."

Her eyes reddened: "But I don't know how to do it. Every time I want to get closer to you, I subconsciously fill my time with work. Ultimately, I don't want to lose you, but I don't know how to change it."

Ye Guigen felt a pang of pain in his heart and stepped forward to hug her.

Elizabeth leaned on his shoulder and sobbed softly.

“Let’s take it slow,” Ye Guigen said. “No rush.”

As the sun set, the Thames was bathed in golden light. The two sat on a bench, neither speaking, just leaning against each other.

In the distance, some people are feeding pigeons, some are taking pictures, and some are jogging. Life goes on, flowing like a river.

Ye Guigen's phone rang. It was a message from Meixue: "Are you free this weekend? I'd like to chat with you."

He stared at the screen, his fingers hovering over the keyboard.

Then he put his phone away and didn't reply.

Because he knew that some answers take time.

He was only eighteen years old.

There's plenty of time. (End of Chapter)