From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

"No!"

Anson didn't want to see this scene; he didn't want to see another young and fragile soul, like himself in the past, fall into the endless abyss.

"Jack, wake up."

He couldn't bear it, and he wouldn't.

Because he had stood at the end of the dark abyss more than once, shouting, again and again, repeatedly, but had never received a response.

Now, looking at the boy in front of him, he wanted to respond, even if the boy hadn't spoken, he knew the boy was crying for help.

Smack.

A slap, crisp and loud.

"Wake up!"

Finally, this slap broke the boy's smile, and also broke the boy's tension; that resolute posture was knocked off balance.

A hint of struggle appeared in his eyes.

Emotions, just like that, vented out.

The boy roared, "Why? Why won't he let me go! I just want to go to school! I just want to be like other kids; I also want to complain about the teacher's homework being too much; I also want to be troubled about inviting the girl I have a crush on to the dance; I just want an ordinary life, but why! Why can't I have it?"

"Why!"

The boy stared at Anson, unable to speak anymore, without any more words, just opening his mouth, desperately roaring.

"Ah!"

It was anger, it was despair, it was pain.

At the same time, it was also a cry for help.

"Ah, ah, ah!"

"Ah!"

One sound, followed by another.

That heart-wrenching cry was truly too painful, and Anson also fell into a deep abyss of pain; he needed to stay calm, he needed to grasp the reins of reason, "No, you can, Jack, you still can."

"Don't ruin your life because of him, before it's too late."

"You can. Believe me, you can."

Repeating it again and again, pulling back from the brink.

Finally, Anson saw some rationality return to the boy's eyes, but the murderous intent in the boy's eyes still hadn't disappeared, his teeth clenched tightly.

"I'm going to kill him; once he's dead, it'll all be over. It's that simple."

Anson shook his head repeatedly, "What about you?"

The boy shook his head in despair, pulling away, "Me too, I'll kill him, and then commit suicide; that way, we'll be free together."

Anson tried to stop the boy.

But the boy didn't give him a chance, just roaring, desperately roaring, "I don't need your help, I don't want to become some big shot, I don't need your salvation either."

"Don't play the savior in front of me; you're not a superhero, you're not Jesus Christ either."

"Let me go, please, let me go."

Anson could understand, he could understand that despair and pain one hundred percent; he had also thought that the long darkness would never end, seeing no end and no light, endless pain just swallowing him bit by bit; how much he wished someone would tell him:

No, it's not like that.

"Jack, look at me, look at me!"

"No, it's not like that."

"No one can save you; I'm not going to save you, because I can't; you are the only answer, you are the only one who can save yourself."

"You can do it, believe me, you can still have a future, have the right to live; you don't need to become a big shot, being ordinary is fine too."

"There's no need to ruin yourself because of him."

"He's not worth it."

The boy looked at Anson, just stunned like that, his eyes unable to bear the weight of tears any longer, collapsing and wailing helplessly.

The boy gently raised his head, "I can't..." just murmuring in pain, "I can't, I really can't..."

Anson knew it was difficult, imagining it was already difficult, and reality was often even more difficult, but they couldn't think too much, they could only take one step at a time, focusing on the step in front of them.

They didn't have time to hesitate any longer.

Anson quickly glanced back, grabbed Jack's shoulders, looked firmly into Jack's eyes, and said, word by word.

"Just —"

"Run."

"Jack, just run, and it'll all be that simple."

"Jack, take your mother and escape, do you hear me? Take your mother and escape, never come back."

"Things can still be changed, you can start over, you can have a future; this is not the end."

"Jack, understand?"

Watching Jack nod through his tear-filled eyes, Anson heavily patted Jack's shoulders, no longer having time to delay, turning around and rushing back towards the burly man and the woman.

The burly man was panting, seemingly tired from hitting, but still didn't stop, just constantly stomping with his feet, repeatedly stomping as if stomping on a cockroach.

This scene made Anson unable to control himself any longer.

A right hook.

Heavily and accurately, smashing into the burly man's face, the burly man, caught off guard, fell out.

Anson didn't have time to pay attention to that scum, quickly helped the woman up, and shouted again, "Jack, run, run quickly, never come back."

The boy tremblingly walked towards his mother, supporting his mother and trying to escape, but the woman was too weak, almost unable to stand, and collapsed again after just standing up; the boy's thin and weak body was simply unable to support her.

Anson was about to step forward to help, but in the next second, a force came from behind, mixed with bloody stench, Anson reflexively dodged to the side, taking advantage of the momentum to pull, deflecting the burly man away with minimal effort.

But this time, Anson didn't intend to let that burly man go.

"Jack, run, take your mother and run."

Shouting again, Anson quickly rushed up, taking advantage of the burly man's dizziness from falling to the ground, his fists rained down.

"Scum!"

"Scum, if you have the ability, pick on someone your own size, what's the deal with targeting women and children? Proving your cowardice and incompetence?"

"Trash!"

One punch, followed by another, then another punch.

Anson released all his energy and all his strength, as if he was crazy, heavily and brutally smashing at that burly man, the whole world clamoring.

Turning his head, Anson saw the boy supporting the woman, moving forward unsteadily, but still worried, looking back with concerned eyes.

The woman, covered in blood, seemed to have lost her mind, her whole body leaning on the boy's thin shoulders; the boy's feet were covered in wounds, bloody and mangled, even the tender flesh inside could be clearly seen, but he couldn't feel the pain, just stubbornly and strongly supporting his mother.

Their pace simply couldn't be fast, and as a result, they still had to worry about Anson, looking back every few steps, the boy's eyes filled with fear and worry.

Anson shook his head repeatedly, looking into the boy's eyes.

"Run, Jack, run, don't look back."

Just like shouting to his mother in his previous life, this time, Anson hoped the boy would never come back.

It was just this little bit of distraction that a force rammed into his chest, suddenly knocking him over.