Chapter 17: Saving Lives

A sharp glint flashed in Zhang Xiaofan's eyes—the voice belonged to Lin Rou from his class.

Speaking of this girl, she was considered one of the class beauties, alongside Chen Jing and Su Qianqian. The classmates referred to them as the "Three Golden Flowers." Lin Rou, however, differed from Chen Jing and Su Qianqian. Chen Jing was the type whose ambitions outstripped her abilities; she liked to cling to others, and her reputation was less than wholesome. Many whispered that she was involved with handsome boys from other classes, which explained the frequent appearance of designer handbags and clothes, all gifts from admirers.

As for Su Qianqian, she was the model student—beautiful, kind-hearted, and with a stunning figure. Zhang Xiaofan had long been pondering when he might finally win her over, imagining how wonderful that would be.

Lin Rou, on the other hand, was the quietest of the three, so reserved that she often faded into the background, unnoticed by most classmates. Her family was quite well-off; Zhang Xiaofan’s dorm mate, Jiang Jiawei, had once mentioned seeing her picked up in a Rolls-Royce.

Then there was Huang Kaijian, a complete lackey to Song Feng. When Song Feng decided to teach Zhang Xiaofan a lesson today, Huang Kaijian was right behind him.

“What’s this guy doing, bullying Lin Rou?” Zhang Xiaofan snorted coldly, striding forward.

“Rou Rou, did you get my love letter? I have to tell you, I’ve liked you for a long time. Just accept me—I swear, I’ll treat you well,” Huang Kaijian said, covering Lin Rou’s mouth and dragging her toward the grove at the edge of the playground. At this late hour, there was no one around.

Infuriated, Zhang Xiaofan hurried over, shouting, “Huang Kaijian, you beast!” Without hesitation, he swung his hand.

Huang Kaijian turned at the sound, only to receive a fist to the eye, wincing in pain. He covered his eye and squinted to see who had struck him—it was Zhang Xiaofan, whom he often bullied.

He cursed, “Zhang Xiaofan, mind your own business and stop meddling.”

Zhang Xiaofan helped Lin Rou up, shielding her behind him. Seeing her delicate, vulnerable appearance, a wave of compassion surged in his heart. He glared at Huang Kaijian. “How could you try something like this? Do you even count as a human being?”

“Zhang Xiaofan, I’ll give you a chance. Leave now and pretend you saw nothing, or else…” Huang Kaijian clenched his fists. He was taller and stronger than Zhang Xiaofan, a top enforcer for Song Feng. Otherwise, Song Feng wouldn’t have kept him around.

Huang Kaijian’s threat was clear. Zhang Xiaofan whispered to Lin Rou, “If we start fighting, run as fast as you can.”

Truthfully, Zhang Xiaofan wasn’t confident he could beat Huang Kaijian. He regretted not calling his dorm mates before coming over—now he was bound to get thrashed.

But even if he took a beating, he wouldn’t lose face. He declared, “Enough talk, Huang Kaijian! Leave now and I won’t call the police. Otherwise, you’ll be in trouble.”

“Hahaha…” Huang Kaijian laughed loudly. “You think the police will care? Besides, I haven’t done anything—what proof do you have?”

As he spoke, he lunged forward, swinging a fist at Zhang Xiaofan’s face.

Zhang Xiaofan had no choice but to fight back. Suddenly, he remembered the hard qigong he’d practiced before. He took a deep breath and punched out. The two collided, and Huang Kaijian’s expression changed, clutching his fist in pain.

“His strength is so weak?” Zhang Xiaofan was stunned. He then pinned Huang Kaijian down and delivered several blows. Huang Kaijian cried out, begging for mercy.

“Stop! Stop!” Huang Kaijian covered his head, pleading. He never expected Zhang Xiaofan, who seemed so frail, to have such power. Damn it, one slip and he’d regret it forever.

Zhang Xiaofan was surprised that the seemingly strong Huang Kaijian was actually so weak. He boasted, “So, are you still feeling tough?”

“No, no—please spare me.”

“Call me ‘boss!’”

“Boss…”

Zhang Xiaofan chuckled, savoring the thrill of having the upper hand. No wonder so many liked bullying others.

He stood up and kicked Huang Kaijian hard. “Behave yourself from now on. If I catch you bullying Lin Rou again, I’ll beat you every time.”

“Yes, yes, boss, don’t worry—I won’t bother her again.”

“Get lost.” Zhang Xiaofan kicked him again.

Huang Kaijian scrambled up and limped away.

Lin Rou shrank to the side, dressed in a pure white dress without any other color. Her hair fell loosely like a spring, and her large eyes glanced shyly at Zhang Xiaofan, making her look incredibly cute.

“Thank you,” Lin Rou said timidly.

A surge of pride rose within Zhang Xiaofan—had he just played the hero saving the damsel in distress? It felt great.

Last time, he’d rescued Su Qianqian, but that was thanks to a little ghost’s help, so he didn’t feel especially proud.

This time was different—this was all his own doing, so his pride was well deserved.

He stepped forward and asked with concern, “Lin Rou, what were you doing out here so late that you ran into that jerk?”

“I left my phone in the classroom today, so I came back to get it. On my way downstairs, I bumped into Huang Kaijian, who’d come back from buying cigarettes. He dragged me over here. If it hadn’t been for you tonight, I…” Lin Rou’s voice trembled, tears threatening to fall.

Zhang Xiaofan sighed. “Let me walk you back.”

“Mm, thank you. But you were really amazing just now. Have you learned martial arts?”

Being praised by such a beautiful girl made Zhang Xiaofan feel a little dizzy. He scratched his head and smiled, “I’ve learned a bit—I was just practicing my skills earlier.”

“Wow, you’re impressive!”

“Heh, not bad, not bad—third best in the world…”

“Pfft, I compliment you and you start joking…”

They walked out together, laughing and chatting. Fortunately, the campus was quiet at this hour, or their classmates would be shocked.

To his surprise, there was already a car waiting at the gate. Zhang Xiaofan thought it looked really nice—he didn’t know the model, but he recognized the five rings on the emblem. He guessed it must cost hundreds of thousands.

As the car drove away, Zhang Xiaofan sighed, “So rich… If only I could be that wealthy someday.”

The next day, although there were no classes, all the boys in the dorm were up early.

Today was the day Wang Hu would bring the Taoist priest to perform the ritual. Whether they could resolve the Underworld Red Packet Group depended on him.

The classmates arrived at the classroom one by one. Zhang Xiaofan glanced around; most were present. Lin Rou walked in, giving Zhang Xiaofan a smile as she entered.

This surprised the students—Lin Rou, usually so aloof, smiled at Zhang Xiaofan.

Damn, when did Zhang Xiaofan become so attractive? Everyone wondered.

Huang Kaijian shot Zhang Xiaofan a resentful look, his thoughts unknown.

Zhou Jian came in and greeted Zhang Xiaofan, asking, “How’s the martial arts technique I gave you coming along?”