With his sharp hairstyle that stood out in this era, and his slightly world-weary eyes, when he put on a stern face, he really did look a bit intimidating. David Lawson and Ethan Carter immediately became half-convinced, half-doubtful.

"Brian Bolton, you didn't really go in there, did you?" The chubby Kyle Lawson asked, and although it was phrased as a question, his expression made it clear he was already ninety percent convinced.

Students at this age were still very naive.

"Did you go in because of a fight?" Ethan Carter asked.

David Lawson was very skeptical, but couldn't help believing a little: "Is it true or not?"

Brian Bolton glanced at David Lawson, wanting to tease them, but in the end told the truth: "Just kidding, I've always been a good student, striving to improve every day."

He was afraid of overdoing it and having people really think he was a little punk. These students were truly innocent.

Being mistaken for a little punk wasn't necessarily a bad thing; on the contrary, it could even intimidate others and keep them from messing with him. But then Brian Bolton suddenly remembered that, back in the day, David Lawson had almost become his brother-in-law. He didn't know if they'd have the chance to meet again this time, but in front of a "potential brother-in-law," it was better to keep a low profile.

After Brian Bolton denied being a labor camp convict, the atmosphere relaxed again. They were all teenage boys, and soon enough, they were chatting away without a care in the world.

In this simple and happy atmosphere, Brian Bolton felt a bit out of place. He should have been the most sociable among them, but those trivial topics just couldn't hold his interest.

A thirty-year-old man and a first-year high school student—how much could they really have in common?

"If it were a girl, I could chat for ages."

Yawning, Brian Bolton picked up his washbasin and towel, stripped down to just his underwear, and walked out the door.

The toilet and washroom were combined, located at the end of a row of tiled houses. The inner room was the toilet, the outer room the washroom. It was the old-fashioned kind, with a row of faucets along the wall.

"A bit too skinny, I need to eat more fatty meat in the future."

Looking at his skinny, bony body, Brian Bolton wasn't impressed—thin arms and legs, not even enough to take two punches from someone else.

Splash.

A basin of cold water poured from head to toe, refreshing him completely. In his previous life, ever since water heaters became common, he hadn't showered like this in years.

Rinsing off, soaping up, scrubbing away the grime—five minutes later, he was done.

After returning, he crawled into the mosquito net and officially began writing "The Four Great Constables Shake the Northeast."

""The Four Great Constables Shake the Northeast," author... Brian Bennett... I'll just reverse my name and use it as my pen name." Brian Bolton was not a very creative guy.

"Part One, The Hunt."

"Chapter One, Thirteen Wolves in the Forest."

"He once shattered the notorious Seventy-Six Riders of the Sandstorm in the boundless desert; in the coldest, iciest Black Long River, he captured the murderous Dragon King Xue You."

"He once lay in ambush for a day and a night in a place so hot you could fry an egg; he also rampaged a thousand miles through the terrifying Kamanragalevia Valley."

"He had been an official whom even the governors of seven provinces would bow to, and had also worked undercover as a butcher in the marketplace."

"He had killed, and he had saved lives."

"Now, he willingly continues to serve under the person he admires most..."

Chapter 009 Natalie Young

"The Four Great Constables Shake the Northeast" is one of Wen Rui'an's early wuxia works, with a style quite similar to Gu Long.

The five great masters of wuxia—Jin, Gu, Huang, Liang, and Wen—each have their own unique style.

Jin Yong's books often unfold in grand scope, with rich characters and, most notably, extremely delicate and profound emotional depth. Gu Long's works stand out for their concise language and bizarre style, full of personality. Huang Yi's style is magnificent and unrestrained, imaginative yet rigorous, complex yet clear.

Liang Yusheng's writing is meticulous, best suited for beginners and patient readers to pass the time. He is also the most talented among the five.

As for Wen Rui'an, his style is more varied—some works are close to Gu Long, others to Jin Yong. Sometimes real, sometimes illusory, always plentiful and satisfying, but he always likes to dig holes and leave them unfilled, so many of his works end poorly. Also, Wen Rui'an is extremely bold, daring to write long passages of pointless lamentation, with masterpieces and flops in equal measure.

Brian Bolton couldn't write Gu Long's bizarre style, nor did he have their kind of wild imagination.

But retelling the story was no problem at all. His writing leaned toward simplicity, with a bit of Jin Yong's flavor, always using straightforward strokes to easily convey the plot.

If he had to describe his writing style, it would be "concise."

He didn't bother with all that pointless lamentation, poetry, or splitting a single sentence into N lines.

Some wuxia authors like to write like this: "He came... he had something in his hand, held between three fingers... careless yet cautious... black as amber, a crystal-clear bottle... he never drank from the bottle... but... there are always exceptions... when cooking, you still have to add some."

Brian Bolton would just write: "He came to buy soy sauce."