Hades Crown Prince

4.On-site Cantonese teaching

Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan cursed for over half an hour outside the train station before they reluctantly accepted the reality that they had been robbed. This was their first lesson in entering society, and it left a lasting impression on both of them.

"Buqi, what if the suitcase was full of money?" Yu Xuan asked, his heart racing.

"If you said it was full of the cured meats your parents prepared, I’d believe that. Money? Even if your family bought everything, they wouldn’t have a suitcase full of money, would they?" Chen Buqi looked at Yu Xuan in disbelief.

"Yeah, you’re right. D*mn it, my suitcase of cured meat is ruined!" Yu Xuan said, spitting angrily on the ground.

After accepting the harsh reality, the two young men, now lightly packed, headed into the train station. When they reached the entrance of the waiting hall, they were immediately stunned, staring in shock at the sea of people.

"Move, what’s blocking the way!" A pair of large hands suddenly shoved Chen Buqi, who was frozen in place, into the crowd.

In an instant, Chen Buqi, who stood at 1.8 meters tall, vanished into the sea of people. Yu Xuan searched frantically but couldn’t find Chen Buqi.

"Fatty, I’m over here!" Chen Buqi, who had been knocked down and was scrambling to get up, shouted from the ground.

"D*mn, bro, I’m coming!" Yu Xuan fought his way through the crowd to reach Chen Buqi.

When they finally reunited, they exchanged a knowing glance, and without another word, they switched into “beast mode.”

In the sea of people, they pushed their way through with force, throwing punches and using their elbows to clear a path. Wherever they went, there were shouts and curses, but they didn’t care, focusing solely on opening a path. The aura they gave off could be summed up in eight words: "Kill anyone who stands in our way, even the Buddha!"

After what felt like an eternity, they finally reached the train entrance. Just as they were about to catch their breath, they were once again swept along by the surging crowd, forcing them forward. When they reached the platform stairs, they were once again stunned. The sea of heads lining both sides of the train was overwhelming, and both Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan felt like they might die.

"Since we’re here, might as well go all in!" Chen Buqi gritted his teeth, tied his bundle tightly to his chest, and put on a determined expression, as if ready to face any danger.

"Let’s do this!" Yu Xuan did the same, shifting his backpack to his chest, and with a determined stride, he followed Chen Buqi.

"What are you doing?"

"D*mn it!"

"Looking for death?"

"Why are you touching my butt?"

Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan unleashed a combination of moves, clearing a path through the crowd. It was as if they could build bridges over water and create roads through mountains. They fought their way to the door of the green train.

Chen Buqi saw a man about his height, holding a ticket in his mouth. His hair was disheveled, his eyes bloodshot, and veins were bulging from his neck. He gripped the iron rail tightly, and even the ticket inspector was startled, hesitating as he checked the man’s ticket.

"Young man, this train is going to Yangcheng. The one to Modu is on the opposite platform," the ticket inspector said sympathetically.

"Get down!" Chen Buqi pulled the man off the train and pushed his way onto the train himself.

In this day and age, squeezing onto a train was like combining pole vaulting, balance beam, judo, kickboxing, and acrobatics into one sport.

"Pant… pant…" In the train car, Yu Xuan and Chen Buqi finally squeezed into their seats, breathing heavily and sweating profusely.

"Shangrao chicken legs, Shangrao chicken legs..." Despite the cramped space, the two of them were amazed to see a food cart leisurely pushing by with a silver cart, passing right next to them.

The train slowly started moving, and both Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan quickly began eating their Shangrao chicken legs. With so many people around, they had to eat quickly, taking bites as fast as they could. The taste? It was so salty it could kill a person.

"Buqi, did you bring water?" Yu Xuan, squeezed between several middle-aged women, stretched out his chubby hand.

Originally designed for three people, their seats were now crammed with 6 to 7 people. As for the aisle, forget it—if you wanted to get up and go to the bathroom, a short 6 or 7-meter distance would take at least half an hour to squeeze through.

"I’ll bring your grandmother’s leg!" Chen Buqi was pushed so hard by the man next to him that his face was pressed against the train window. He looked at Yu Xuan with a resentful gaze.

Twenty-plus hours later, the train finally arrived in Yangcheng. Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan, exhausted, didn’t rush to leave the station. Instead, they found a corner without people and sat down to rest.

"Fatty, do you think we picked the wrong place?" Chen Buqi rasped, his voice hoarse.

"Aiya, Buqi, what are you saying?" Yu Xuan, looking pale and exhausted, seemed ready to collapse. His face was flushed, and he looked like he might fall over at any moment.

Though he had initially been squeezed in with several women, the constant jostling had gotten to him. By the end of the ride, he felt like he was about to throw up, especially with the woman next to him smelling like body odor in the hot summer heat.

After resting for half an hour, Yu Xuan finally regained some energy. He then pulled out a notebook from his backpack.

"Buqi, when we get to Yangcheng, I’ll teach you some Cantonese. So you won’t be looked down on by others," Yu Xuan said, licking his finger and opening the worn notebook.

"You can speak Cantonese?" Chen Buqi asked incredulously.

"Of course! I’ve watched a ton of Hong Kong movies, so I have some talent for this language!" Yu Xuan boasted, tossing his bangs dramatically.

Yu Xuan’s family was relatively well-off in their hometown. In the 90s, they were one of the first to buy a black-and-white TV, and Yu Xuan’s dad would carry it to the village square for everyone to watch together. Later, as more families became wealthier, Yu Xuan’s family upgraded to a color TV and even bought a VCD player. During that time, Chen Buqi often went over to Yu Xuan’s house.

"I’ll teach you the first phrase: 'pu gai zai' (street punk)!" Yu Xuan said, reading from his notebook.

"‘Pu gai zai’? Fatty, are you sure? It sounds like an insult to me," Chen Buqi said, looking at Yu Xuan with suspicion.

"I’m sure! In those Hong Kong movies, they greet each other like that. Think about it—whenever we meet, we say 'what’s up, bro?' Isn’t it the same thing? It must be!" Yu Xuan explained seriously.

Chen Buqi nodded thoughtfully.

"To greet a beautiful woman, we say, 'siu la ba!'"

"Siu la ba? What’s that?" Chen Buqi was even more confused. "Why such a weird name?"

Before he could ask more, Yu Xuan continued, seriously listing more phrases.

"Your turn, ‘cheung fun.’"

"Crazy."

"Family inheritance."

"Eat and pull you."

"F*** you, you have a man."

Chen Buqi was stunned, looking at Yu Xuan’s confident expression. Out of trust in his friend, Chen Buqi didn’t question where Yu Xuan had learned these from. If he had asked, he wouldn’t have ended up running down the street being chased with a machete!

Where did Yu Xuan learn these? All thanks to watching Young and Dangerous!