SOUL'S REDEMPTION

"John!" Amber shouted from the field. The beautiful girl who was an idol on campus could sometimes be very annoying. Amber was indeed attractive, but in John's eyes, she seemed more like a witch.

Every word that came out of Amber's mouth towards John was nothing but mockery or insults that sometimes left John silent, contemplating if only he could change his fate.

Certainly, if his fate changed in an instant, no one would dare to insult him so freely.

John hurriedly ran down from the third floor of the campus building. He leaped over two flights of stairs at once, not wanting Amber's voice to keep shouting at him from the field and making him a free spectacle.

His knees felt weak.

He gasped for breath as soon as he reached the field. Amber's gaze truly made John want to pluck out both of the beautiful blonde girl's eyes.

"What's the matter?"

Amber, with her annoying manner, placed her index finger in front of John's nose and with one motion, she pulled off the glasses John was wearing, causing them to fall to the ground. John blinked his eyes, and his vision instantly became blurred.

"I heard from your dormitory leader that you like me?" Amber asked, looking disgusted at John.

The young man was actually quite handsome, but his constantly greasy and unkempt hair made him the subject of ridicule throughout the campus. It was unclear what drove them to have such an insatiable desire to make John their target for mockery.

John clenched his fists, feeling nervous about the question Amber had just asked him.

Who wouldn't like a sexy and beautiful girl who was always sought after by wealthy young men on campus?

"I... I never said that to Lyle. Maybe you misheard," John replied, bowing his head and looking at the ground.

"Huh? Besides, even if you like me, do you think I would want you, John?" Amber mocked.

John was just an ordinary young man who was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship from his university.

Suddenly, the field became crowded. John became an interesting sight under the scorching sun. His blushing face made him too embarrassed to leave his spot. It only fueled Amber's desire to continue mocking him.

"Hey, look, this four-eyed guy supposedly likes me!" Amber shouted in the middle of the field, making everyone's eyes focus on her and John. Some of them even burst into laughter.

If only John could disappear, perhaps he would choose to never show himself again!

Suddenly, from behind, a young man struck John's head hard, almost causing him to stumble.

The young man put his arm around Amber's shoulder, then gave her a small kiss on the cheek.

"John, can you buy me a lock at the convenience store?" Ted whispered, the young man who had just embraced Amber.

John took a deep breath, then bowed his body, about to pick up his glasses that Amber had purposely dropped to the ground. But before his hand could reach the glasses, Ted's foot was faster, crushing John's glasses until they were destroyed.

Once again, he couldn't do anything except restrain the emotions he desperately wanted to release by punching Ted's pimpled face.

Both of them were among the many who despised John on campus.

Just because his poverty was so pitiful, John became the target of endless bullying.

Not long after, a few students tied him to the basketball pole and doused him with dirty water, forcing John to take multiple showers.

"Give me the money, I'll buy it," John said, extending his hand to Ted.

"Here's the money, you can use the rest to buy hair oil. Maybe your always greasy-looking hair needs more oil," Ted mocked. His pimple-covered face, coupled with his nose resembling a tomato, looked unpleasant as Ted laughed hysterically at John, whom he considered innocent and foolish.

"Where should I deliver your order?" John asked.

"Just keep it for now, give it to me tonight."

"Okay," John replied.

John was no longer surprised by Ted's repeated requests to buy the same item. Most likely, later tonight, he would go to a bar, have fun with some women there, then take one of them to a hotel and have sex with her.

Ted was just a spoiled rich kid, with an insatiable lust for multiple women.

Even his late return to the dormitory was never a problem. Money always spoke for him, easily bribing the dormitory head to let him enter after curfew.

John still picked up his glasses, one of the frames broken, and put them in his pants pocket.

"Alright, everyone disperse, stop watching this four-eyed guy!" Ted ordered the students who were gathered, witnessing John being ridiculed by Amber and Ted.

John hurriedly left the field and walked towards the dormitory. He suddenly remembered that this month Mr. Montgomery—his father—had not sent him any money.

The amount of money left in his ATM card was probably only a few dollars. It had been almost a week since no lazy students asked him to do their assignments as usual, so there was no extra money for John to buy his necessities.

His two good friends were playing games on the PC screen, unaware of John's arrival.

Annoyed, John slammed the door, then threw himself onto a sofa in the room.

"John, what's wrong with your face?" Abner asked, his attention diverted when he heard the door slam loudly.

John squinted his eyes, Abner's face appeared blurry to him, his glasses were no longer usable. That meant he had to find extra money to buy a new pair of cheap glasses.

"Just the usual, it seems Ted is never satisfied with tormenting me. He just stepped on my glasses and broke them. Now your face is unclear, it looks worse than usual," John replied casually.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. Earlier, there was a man looking for you. He met me in the parking lot and asked if I knew you or not. He showed me a picture of you. The man looking for you has a big, muscular body, and his face looks a bit fierce. Have you had any problems with outsiders recently?"

John shook his head.

Since when did he have problems with others? He had never sought trouble, even though those brainless students always tried to provoke his anger, he always remained calm.

"Did he mention my name?"

"Yes, John Mayer. That's your name, isn't it? There's no other John Mayer with unwashed, greasy hair like yours. There's only one John Mayer in Greensand, and that's you," Abner replied, laughing.

Abner and Bastian were John's two best friends. Although they sometimes crossed the line with their jokes, John never took offense. When John needed financial help, both young men were happy to assist him.

And what was even better, John didn't have to repay the borrowed money!

"Did he leave any other message?" John asked, somewhat curious about the man who was looking for him.

"He said he'll be waiting for you at the campus lake tomorrow night. He has something to discuss with you. You know what, John? That man seems wealthy. He was driving a limited edition sports car. Maybe he wants to give you money. You should be happy," Abner said once again.

This time, John furrowed his brow. "A wealthy man?"

His social circle was limited, and he didn't know many people, so if there was a wealthy person looking for him, who could it be?

John's mind raced with curiosity and speculation. He couldn't think of anyone in his current circle of acquaintances who fit the description of a wealthy individual. The fact that this person specifically sought him out raised even more questions in John's mind.

Could it be a case of mistaken identity? Or perhaps someone from his past resurfacing? John couldn't shake off the feeling of intrigue mixed with a hint of apprehension. He knew he had to find out who this person was and what they wanted.

As he pondered the possibilities, John made a mental note to meet the mysterious man at the campus lake the following night. He hoped that this encounter would shed some light on the situation and provide him with the answers he sought.

In the meantime, John would have to wait and continue his daily routine, trying to navigate the challenges and difficulties he faced on campus. The encounter with Amber and Ted had left him emotionally drained, but the prospect of meeting this unknown person gave him a glimmer of hope.

With a mixture of curiosity, anticipation, and a tinge of anxiety, John prepared himself for the meeting that would take place at the campus lake the next evening, hoping that it would bring about a positive change in his life.