Chapter 70: Eliminating You on Behalf of the School

Through Xiao Cheng's relentless efforts, he finally managed to earn himself a punishment—and not just any punishment, but one that required him to make a public apology!

But all of this came after he had already given Qiu Hui a beating.

Poor Qiu Hui had no idea he’d been betrayed by the principal. To be fair, he wasn’t entirely innocent. Ever since Xiao Cheng had beaten him in their classroom last Tuesday, he’d been gathering his crew for days, trying to ambush Xiao Cheng until he heard the latter was on leave, and had to swallow his anger for the time being.

Today, news arrived: Xiao Cheng was back!

They’d catch him at noon!

...

Every noon, the school’s broadcast station played music for half an hour. Students who brought lunch or went out to buy food could eat in their classrooms and listen. The station didn’t produce its own shows—usually just music, but students could request songs. Some sent songs to teachers, mostly to curry favor, but this kind of flattery was warmly received. Others sent songs to classmates, usually of the same gender—a boy would dedicate “Friends” to his buddies, or a girl would send “Sisters” to her best friend. Of course, there were exceptions. For instance, the infamous Teacher Yan, who liked to take up minor subject classes, once received “You’re So Cruel” from a student who preferred to remain anonymous.

As the broadcast played Wakin Chau’s “The Dream of Swords and Blades,” Qiu Hui, followed by seven or eight brothers, marched up to the floor where the eighth grade was located, their footsteps pounding in time with the music. Noon dismissal meant the corridors were crowded, and students pressed themselves to the walls to let the group pass, further feeding the “boss’s” arrogance.

“I wonder where my sword will go, between love and hate, torn by feelings hard to bear.”

“My blade cuts through the sky, right and wrong, understood or not.”

“Damn it, where’s Wen Xiao Cheng? Did that bastard run off again?” Bursting into Class Eight, he found only fifteen or sixteen students scattered about. He scanned each face, but Xiao Cheng was nowhere to be seen.

Qiu Hui was seething. With Xiao Cheng absent, he stalked straight to his desk and kicked it over. Looking down, he saw that Xiao Cheng had truly left nothing behind—not even an eraser.

The group radiated menace, especially Qiu Hui, whose reputation for violence preceded him. The dozen students left in Class Eight stared wide-eyed, hardly daring to breathe.

Overhead, the battered speaker with barely any sound quality continued, “Came in a rush, left in a rush, unable to meet…” Then came static, and suddenly Xiao Cheng’s cheeky voice rang out, “Hey~~~?”

“We interrupt this broadcast with a missing person announcement! Qiu Hui from Grade Nine, Class Four—Qiu Hui from Grade Nine, Class Four, please come to the back hill after hearing this. Wen Xiao Cheng from Grade Eight, Class Eight—that’s me—wants to challenge you to a duel! I repeat, Qiu Hui, a duel! Got it?”

The dozen students in Class Eight simultaneously looked up, their eyes ablaze with astonishment. They’d sensed Xiao Cheng had changed lately, but never imagined he’d be so audacious! Challenging Qiu Hui? And in such a blatant manner!

Ever since that afternoon when Xiao Cheng beat Zhang Peiyue in front of the teacher, the class’s perception of him had shifted. Previously, he was silent, almost invisible. The conflict with the privileged Zhang Peiyue involved family grudges, and aside from the class monitor Yang Liushan, no one interfered. Zhang Peiyue had wealth and influence; even if classmates sympathized, they weren’t close enough to get involved. But then Xiao Cheng asserted his presence with his fists. In an atmosphere shaped by homogenized education, someone who stood out drew everyone’s attention.

A person often discussed easily becomes the center of attention—a topic of conversation.

Not only the students in Class Eight, but the entire campus heard the broadcast clearly, whether in classrooms or on the playground. Everyone paused, looking toward the broadcast room—even though there was nothing to see!

Dueling wasn’t Qiu Hui’s strength. He couldn’t beat Xiao Cheng; last time had proven that, humiliating him in front of his classmates. Now, Xiao Cheng was at it again, openly provoking him—a scene reminiscent of generals taunting each other before a battle. If he didn’t respond, his crew’s morale would collapse!

There was only one way to break out of this: mobilize his forces before the duel!

“Go! To the broadcast room! Quickly! Don’t let him escape this time!” The group reversed formation and rushed downstairs like the wind, with Qiu Hui, previously leading, now trailing behind. The broadcast room was on the second floor, the closest route from Class Eight being the side staircase. Overhead, Xiao Cheng continued his provocations. Qiu Hui gritted his teeth as he ran, “Let’s see where you run this time!”

“Of course, you could refuse for any reason—maybe you want to focus on your studies, maybe you caught a chill after childbirth and your period’s out of whack, whatever. I don’t really care, because if you accept, it’s a duel; if you decline, I don’t mind beating you anyway…”

Xiao Cheng’s sarcasm over the broadcast delighted the onlookers. Qiu Hui ground his teeth, but wasn’t worried. Let Xiao Cheng enjoy himself—once he caught him in the broadcast room, he’d let everyone hear how Xiao Cheng begged for mercy.

Descending to the second floor, just as he was about to turn out of the stairwell, his brothers rushed ahead. Qiu Hui dodged through the crowd, trailing behind, when suddenly he felt someone grab his collar. Before he could see who it was, a massive fist smashed into his face, landing squarely on his nose.

Some say the nose is one of the most sensitive areas of the face, so the pain was piercing. Qiu Hui’s eyes squeezed shut; snot, tears, and blood mingled, stinging and salty, covering his face as if he’d been hit by a car. His mind spun, and before he could comprehend what had happened, his hair was yanked so hard his scalp felt like it might tear. All he could do was clutch his nose and bow his head, dragged along by the assailant, while Xiao Cheng’s voice continued to echo from the loudspeaker, growing ever more absurd and melodramatic.

“I’m beating you not only because of our personal grudge, but also to purify the school’s unhealthy atmosphere! Your delinquent gang has been bullying everyone, tarnishing our school’s reputation. I’m representing Second High to wipe you out…”

At the broadcast room door, Chen Guo and his buddies were bewildered. The heavy iron door was tightly locked; Xiao Cheng had barricaded himself inside, rambling on with no sign of coming out. Chen Guo knocked several times, but got no response. He turned to ask Hui what to do, only to find Qiu Hui missing.

“Where’s Hui?”

“No idea!”

“Wasn’t he just coming down with us?”

“Yeah, but he’s gone. Maybe he went to the bathroom?”

“Never mind, let’s wait here. There’s only one door to the broadcast room; I don’t believe he can escape through the window! Didn’t you hear? He’s still babbling inside!”

Meanwhile, Wen Xiao Cheng dragged Qiu Hui by the hair from the second floor to the first, then out the side door, all the way to the back hill. At noon, the corridors were full of students, all staring in shock as Wen Xiao Cheng hauled the school’s “boss” out, his expression cold and commanding. Overhead, his provocative taunts echoed through the air…

——————

The campus song request line is now open. If you want to dedicate a song to Old Dao, leave a message in the book review section. A heads-up: I wrote a song for Chapter 80—lyrics only. Look forward to it.