Chapter 29 — What Had to Come, Has Come

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The last period of the afternoon was study hall. Zhong Yongliang stood up, walked over to Wei Zhao, and rapped twice on his desk with a finger.

"What's up?" Wei Zhao looked up and asked flatly, a flicker of impatience in his eyes.

Kang Xiaobo turned around as well, staring at Wei Zhao and Zhong Yongliang in surprise, wondering how the two of them had come to bear a grudge. After all, Zhong Yongliang was not a man Wei Zhao could afford to offend.

"If you've got the guts, come with me." Zhong Yongliang said arrogantly.

"Sorry, no time. I have to study." Wei Zhao lowered his head and went back to flipping through the math book in his hands.

"Scared already? Coward." Zhong Yongliang gave a cold snort. "You can dodge the first day, but you can't dodge the fifteenth. Just wait till school is out."

With that, he went back to his own seat without a backward glance.

"Bro, how did you get on the wrong side of this god?" Kang Xiaobo whispered to Wei Zhao. "He's bad news. Is there some misunderstanding here?"

Wei Zhao smiled bitterly. What misunderstanding could there be? Why would he pick a fight with the guy for nothing? Was it not all because of Gu Mengyao? If not for her, would he have kicked Zhong Yongliang in the ass yesterday? But none of that could be told to Kang Xiaobo.

"It's nothing. This morning Zhang Naipao stuck out a leg to trip me, and I stepped on his foot instead. It's probably about that." Wei Zhao blamed it on the morning.

"What?" Kang Xiaobo was startled when he heard that, and frowned at once. "Zhang Naipao is a man who never forgets a grudge. Looks like Zhong Yongliang is coming after you for his buddy."

"It doesn't matter. Let them do what they like. What can they do to me in school?" Wei Zhao shrugged indifferently. In his eyes, no matter how arrogant and overbearing Zhong Yongliang was, he was still just a student.

Thinking back on those years of flying war and fire, of cheating death in a hail of bullets, an enemy on Zhong Yongliang's level was simply too childish. Just like at the morning break exercises today, Wei Zhao had taught Zhong Yongliang a lesson with a prank instead of giving him a real beating.

If Wei Zhao had really wanted to hit someone, Zhong Yongliang would already be lying in the morgue.

"So what now?" Kang Xiaobo sighed. Wei Zhao had just transferred here, so it was only natural he did not know certain things about the school, and he explained, "Zhong Yongliang and his gang are the tyrants of this school. Plenty of students who crossed them got beaten up, and some couldn't come to school for days."

"That ruthless?" Wei Zhao had not expected Zhong Yongliang and his crew to beat people so badly they couldn't come to school. That was laying it on pretty heavy.

"Yeah. Sigh, blame me for not telling you sooner." Kang Xiaobo sighed. "If you had just said a few soft words a moment ago, this might have blown over. But now..."

"What about now?" Wei Zhao asked with interest.

"Now it's going to be trouble." Kang Xiaobo said indignantly. "Damn that Zhang Naipao, that sissy. He looks as soft as milk foam, never lets the smallest slight go, and he's petty as hell. It was such a little thing, and he was in the wrong to begin with, yet he still got Zhong Yongliang to take revenge for him. He really is a bastard."

"Forget it. Let them do what they want, and don't you worry. I'm not that easy to bully." Wei Zhao patted Kang Xiaobo on the shoulder to reassure him.

Kang Xiaobo pursed his lips as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing.

What had to come would always come. Just before the last "big class," Zhong Yongliang came for Wei Zhao.

The so-called "big class" was evening self-study, something many schools had. School let out at four thirty, then after a half-hour rest, the "big class" officially began at five and lasted an hour and a half with no break in between.

"If you're a man, come with me." Zhong Yongliang's words this time were even more provocative than last time. Last time he had only said "if you've got the guts," but this time he said "if you're a man."

Wei Zhao was of course a man, but he would not lose his temper just because of Zhong Yongliang's aggressive tone. Still, he understood that today's business would have to be settled sooner or later. It was clear Zhong Yongliang was the kind who would never let go. Just as he said, you could dodge the first day but not the fifteenth. Though Wei Zhao had no need to dodge him, it was proof enough that Zhong Yongliang was a man who would not stop until he got what he wanted.

"Fine, I'll go with you." Wei Zhao nodded and stood up.

At that hour many people in the class had not yet left the room. They had already noticed the first time Zhong Yongliang came looking for Wei Zhao, so when Zhong Yongliang appeared before Wei Zhao a second time, he naturally became the focus of the whole class.

But the moment Wei Zhao agreed to go with Zhong Yongliang, the whole class broke into an uproar. Many sighed inwardly that Wei Zhao had only arrived on his first day, did not know the rules, and had somehow provoked Zhong Yongliang, the school bully. Most of all, they felt sympathy for him.

"I'm going with you." Kang Xiaobo sounded as if he had made some momentous decision. He shot abruptly to his feet, impassioned like a soldier marching off to the execution ground.

Inside, Kang Xiaobo was actually struggling too. Although today was only the first day he had known Wei Zhao, he felt a real connection with him. Especially in the dull drudgery of senior year, how rare it was to have a friend he could really talk to.

Zhong Yongliang was very powerful in this school, and Kang Xiaobo was no match for him at all. All he could do was stand by and see if he could lessen the conflict between them.

"Shit, Kang Xiaobo, are you tired of living? Sticking up for him?" Seeing a classmate of his own stand up for a newly transferred outsider, Zhong Yongliang flared with anger. This was provocation, a challenge to his authority in the class.

Under Zhong Yongliang's aggressive stare, Kang Xiaobo grew a little timid, but he did not back down. Instead he lifted his chin. "Zhong Yongliang, Wei Zhao just transferred in. He doesn't know the rules of the class. Don't hold it against him..."

"Damn it, you're lecturing me now? Who the hell do you think you are?" Zhong Yongliang exploded in rage. Not know the rules, my ass? He pissed all over me, how could that just be let go? Hearing Kang Xiaobo's breezy tone, Zhong Yongliang burned with fury. "Since you're so eager to stick your neck out, you come too. Damn it, if I don't kill you today, I'm not Zhong Yongliang."

Kang Xiaobo's expression tightened and his body trembled slightly. From childhood to now he had always been a well-behaved student. Though deep down he had a man's combative streak, in truth he had never been in a real fight.

Although Wei Zhao did not need Kang Xiaobo's help, he could not help being deeply moved by such sincere loyalty, and he patted Kang Xiaobo on the shoulder. "It's fine. We'll go together."

Hearing Wei Zhao's words gave Kang Xiaobo some courage. At worst, he thought, they would take a beating together. So he puffed out his chest and followed Wei Zhao toward the classroom door.

The sight of Kang Xiaobo only infuriated Zhong Yongliang, filling him with frustration. A classmate of his own siding with an outsider, he was determined to teach this traitor a lesson.

Led by Zhong Yongliang, the group went up to the rooftop terrace on the very top floor of the school...

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