"Du Cheng, this is your salary for the past three days. You don't need to come in tomorrow."
'Three days. Fired after just three days again.' Looking at the hundred-yuan bill the snack shop owner handed him, Du Cheng's face only showed a faint, helpless smile. He didn't ask why. After taking the money, he limped out of the snack shop.
Du Cheng had been left with a limp after a car accident. It could have been cured, but because he couldn't afford the high medical fees, he was left as a cripple, scorned by others.
As soon as he walked out of the snack shop, Du Cheng saw a red Ferrari sports car parked in front of the somewhat dilapidated building.
A young man leaned casually against the car door, flicking an exquisite golden lighter in his hand, his eyes fixed on Du Cheng, who was emerging from the snack shop.
The man was young, only twenty-one or twenty-two. He had a handsome face and a tall, lean physique, dressed in a Versace casual suit. Against the backdrop of the Ferrari behind him, he exuded the aura of a young master from a wealthy family. The faint arrogance in his expression, in particular, gave him an air of superiority.
"What's wrong, Fourth Young Master Du? Fired again? You useless waste, you only bring shame to our Du family." (Nota: "My Fourth Young Master" es una traducción literal. "Useless fellow" es demasiado suave para el contexto; "useless waste" es más natural para un insulto.)
Seeing Du Cheng come out, the young man smiled slightly, but his smile was tinged with arrogance, contempt, and coldness.
Du Cheng ignored the young man's mockery and walked right past him, his expression completely indifferent, as if he were seeing a stranger.
"What kind of attitude is that? Don't forget, I'm your third brother." The young man saw that Du Cheng ignored him and didn't get angry, but the smile on his face faded, and his tone became much colder.
Du Cheng still ignored him, his indifferent expression unchanged, as he limped along the street towards the school.
Du Cheng was wearing a very cheap shirt and jeans, the jeans so faded they were almost white, and on his feet were a pair of thirty or forty yuan running shoes, all bought from street vendors. The total price of his outfit probably couldn't even buy a single button on the young man's suit.
However, just as the young man said, the two were indeed brothers.
The young man's name was Du Yunlong, ranked third among the third-generation heirs of the Du family. The Du family held great power in F City. From its rise thirty years ago to the present, the Du family had already entered the ranks of wealthy families with assets exceeding three billion yuan three years ago.
Du Cheng and Du Yunlong were the same age, with Du Cheng being only three months younger than Du Yunlong.
Normal pregnancy is ten months, and having a second child would usually be a year later. Normally, if Du Cheng were younger than Du Yunlong, he should be at least a year older he should be at least a year older, not three months.
The reason was simple: Du Cheng was an illegitimate child.
An illegitimate child who, though given a name, had no inheritance rights whatsoever and had to endure the scorn and neglect of both the Du family and outsiders.
"What's wrong, Du Cheng, suddenly mute? Don't tell me you think I'm the one who got you fired, right? You're from the Du family, how could you possibly work in such a rundown place? If others found out, wouldn't our Du family be terribly embarrassed?"
Du Yunlong seemed to have no intention of giving up on mocking Du Cheng. The Ferrari sports car drove slowly, its low engine roar sounding like heavenly music to some, but to Du Cheng, it was incredibly grating.
Looking at Fufeng Academy, less than fifty meters ahead, Du Cheng thought for a moment, then stopped and said coldly to Du Yunlong, "Are you done playing, Du Yunlong?"
Perhaps it was a natural clash, but Du Yunlong had always enjoyed opposing Du Cheng since childhood. In every matter, Du Yunlong would never let Du Cheng have his way; even if Du Cheng went to do odd jobs, Du Yunlong would sabotage him.
Du Cheng, with his physical disability, already found it very difficult to find odd jobs, but every job he found was ruined by Du Yunlong. From high school until now, in over four years, Du Cheng had not been able to keep a single odd job for more than three days.
At first, Du Cheng would get angry, but now, Du Cheng chose silence, because he knew it was all in vain. The reason he spoke now was simply because he didn't want Du Yunlong to bother him at school, as they attended the same school.
"Playing? How am I playing?" Du Yunlong stepped on the brakes and said very arrogantly, "You need to remember, your surname is Du, you are a member of the Du family. You can starve to death, but you cannot disgrace the Du family."
"Don't worry, if you don't tell anyone, no one will know I'm from the Du family, and no one will believe I'm from the Du family." In Du Cheng's eyes, the so-called wealthy family was not even as good as dog shit, let alone something to be proud of.
After speaking, Du Cheng started walking again towards the entrance of Fufeng Academy.
Du Yunlong smiled coldly and said, "If you've got any guts, don't take a single cent from the Du family, you hypocrite."
Hearing Du Yunlong say this, Du Cheng's body clearly trembled. Du Yunlong was right; he still had to rely on the Du family for money. However, Du Cheng ultimately chose silence, just walking silently towards the academy.
Seeing Du Cheng like this, Du Yunlong seemed to feel a bit bored. He accelerated, and with the roar of the engine, sped towards Fufeng Academy.
Du Cheng limped behind, a stark contrast to the speeding car. (Nota: "creating a strong sense of disparity" es una frase muy pasiva y abstracta. Esta versión es más visual y clara.)
▂▂▂
People grow and mature, not just by living, but by learning from hardship.
Although Du Cheng was only twenty years old, his status as an illegitimate child and a disabled person meant he had experienced hardships that ordinary people had not. This also made his mind more mature than his peers.
Fortunately, when fate takes something away from you, it often gives you something else as compensation. Although Du Cheng had a physical disability, his mind was very sharp.
Du Cheng's academic performance had always been excellent; he had consistently received the highest scholarship since high school. This was also something Du Yunlong was very jealous of. As a descendant of the Du family, Du Yunlong was naturally sharp-minded, but in terms of both grades and scholarships, he was always firmly suppressed by Du Cheng.
As a higher education institution with a top-tier national teaching team, Fufeng Academy's scholarships were very high. Similarly, Fufeng Academy's tuition fees were astonishingly high. The scholarships Du Cheng received were basically all used for tuition, leaving only a small amount barely enough to maintain his daily living expenses.
Du Cheng was studying in the Department of Computer Science and Technology, which was not far from the main entrance of the academy. Entering through the main gate of Fufeng Academy, Du Cheng walked along the main path of the academy, lined with magnolia trees, and in less than five minutes, he arrived in front of the building where the Department of Computer Science and Technology was located.
Du Yunlong's Ferrari sports car was parked in the parking lot below the building. Du Yunlong didn't go upstairs, but he wasn't waiting for Du Cheng; instead, he was talking to a girl.
The girl was very beautiful, with naturally wavy dark hair resting on her shoulders. Her clear and bright pupils, long eyelashes fluttering slightly, thin lips as tender and dewy as rose petals, and a fair, flawless face with a faint blush, like a finely sculpted doll.
A long dress as white as cold snow further accentuated her slender figure, giving her an incredibly pure feeling. However, what people remembered most about the girl was her smile.
The girl's smile was captivating, sweet, and pure, like an angel, giving people a warm, heart-penetrating feeling.
"Du Cheng, you're here, I was looking for you." Seeing Du Cheng approach, the girl smiled and greeted him.
Du Yunlong, meanwhile, leaned against the Ferrari, his head held a bit high. While it gave him an arrogant look, it conveyed more of a sense of dashing elegance and nobility. In his hand, he held a red invitation, which had appeared at some point.
Because of Du Yunlong's appearance and the dismissal from his part-time job, Du Cheng's expression was originally very cold. However, when he saw the girl's warm smile, like a spring breeze, the coldness on Du Cheng's face unconsciously began to slowly melt.
"Gu Sixin, is something wrong?" Du Cheng asked, looking at the girl with some confusion.
Gu Sixin, the belle of the Computer Science and Technology Department, was practically an angel in the eyes of almost all the male students in the entire computer department. Her smile was secretly called the "angel's smile," and the number of boys who secretly admired her could wrap around the entire Fufeng Academy.
"This is for you." Gu Sixin took out a red invitation from her small bag and smiled sweetly at Du Cheng, "Next month on the seventh, it's my birthday. I'm hosting a small party at home, and I hope you can come."
As Gu Sixin spoke, Du Yunlong, beside her, waved the invitation in his hand at Du Cheng, his face full of provocation.
Du Cheng completely ignored Du Yunlong's actions, but he also didn't take the invitation from Gu Sixin's hand. Instead, he refused, "I might not have time to attend, I'm sorry."
Gu Sixin seemed to have never been rejected before; the smile on her face clearly froze for a moment.
"Coward. You're a disgrace. But forget it, if you go, you'll probably bring even more shame to our Du family."
Du Cheng knew what Du Yunlong was referring to. Such banquets would eventually turn into a showing-off arena for rich people who liked to flaunt their wealth. He, Du Cheng, indeed had no right to attend.
"Du Yunlong, what nonsense are you talking about?" Gu Sixin also heard Du Yunlong's words, and a hint of anger appeared on her delicate face.
Du Yunlong waved his hand nonchalantly, saying nothing more.
"Du Cheng, don't mind what others say. I hope you can come then, okay?" Turning around, Gu Sixin spoke to Du Cheng again. Although the smile on her face had disappeared because of Du Yunlong's words, her bright and clear eyes were filled with sincerity.
"Gu Sixin, I really don't have time. Let's talk about it later." Du Cheng felt a bit apologetic. After responding, he didn't wait for Gu Sixin to say anything more and walked directly past her, heading into the building.
"Sixin, don't mind a person like that. I'll give you a very beautiful birthday present then; I think you'll definitely like it." Looking at Gu Sixin, who was once again stunned, a hint of jealousy clearly flashed in Du Yunlong's eyes. He quickly comforted her and reached out, wanting to casually place his hand on Gu Sixin's delicate, boneless shoulder.
Gu Sixin seemed to dislike Du Yunlong's intimate gesture. She moved a step to the side, just avoiding Du Yunlong's outstretched hand, and then forced a smile, "Thank you, Du Yunlong. I'm going to class now."
After speaking, Gu Sixin also walked into the building.
Being avoided by Gu Sixin, Du Yunlong's face clearly showed some embarrassment. Only when Gu Sixin's figure disappeared at the building entrance did he say resentfully, "Playing innocent. Let's see how you play innocent when I have you pinned on the bed."