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"Awooo—" Zou Ruoming let out an agonized howl. His wrist had already been smashed out of joint; the basketball passed straight through his two hands and slammed directly into his face.

"Bang!" Another tremendous crash. This time Zou Ruoming did not even have time to howl before he toppled to the ground, blood spurting from his nostrils, the crimson arc tracing a rainbow through the air — a rather cold and ruthless sort of beauty.

Zou Ruoming was knocked clean out cold on the spot. The lackeys who had been playing basketball with him were all stunned. Was this still a basketball? It was practically a cannon shell.

Then look at the one who had started it all: Wei Zhao, utterly unruffled, as though nothing had happened. He dusted the dirt off his hands and continued walking toward the teaching building. Inwardly, Wei Zhao sneered with contempt — you think you can play the tough guy with me? This time was light. If there was a next time, he would slap you so hard you could not take care of yourself, and in a serious case, reduce you to a vegetable.

"That brat hit Brother Ming! Don't let him get away!" Someone shouted — no one knew who — and only then did Zou Ruoming's gang of underlings snap back to their senses, all of them turning to look at Wei Zhao not far away.

Hearing the shout, Wei Zhao turned back with some impatience, swept his cold gaze over the few people present, gave a sneer, and continued walking toward the teaching building.

Under that icy stare of Wei Zhao's, everyone shivered with a chill for no reason at all. Avenging Brother Ming — a beautiful wish, but actually carrying it out... looking at Zou Ruoming on the ground, his wrist already deformed, his face covered in blood, not knowing whether he was dead or alive, they all shrank back.

This... had actually been done by a single basketball? With Zou Ruoming as a cautionary example, no one dared to be the first to provoke Wei Zhao. Who was stupider than whom? Even their leader was lying on the ground — what did they have that was more formidable than Zou Ruoming?

The whole group hung their heads. Even the underling who had shouted earlier shut his mouth, and everyone bustled about to lift Zou Ruoming up and rush him to the school infirmary.

Zhong Yongliang had skipped morning self-study today. After arriving at school, he had phoned one of his father's men, a fellow called Brother Black Panther. Brother Black Panther counted as someone from the Songshan City underworld; he looked after the door for Shengshi Nianhua, a nightclub under his father's name.

Zhong Yongliang had asked him to come deal with Wei Zhao. At first Brother Black Panther had been rather dismissive — just a student, why would he need to go in person? Sending a few of his underlings would settle it easily. He felt considerable contempt over Zhong Yongliang and his crowd not even being able to handle a single student, but on account of Zhong Yongliang's father, Brother Black Panther did not say so out loud.

After all, the boy was a crown prince, the young master of the group. Brother Black Panther was no fool — why would he go out of his way to offend him for nothing? Still, he could not quite put aside his pride over the matter of dealing with a little brat himself.

But worn down by Zhong Yongliang's persistent pestering — the new transfer student was so formidable, a real martial artist — Brother Black Panther had no choice but to agree and bring his men along to take a look.

Having finally secured Brother Black Panther's help, Zhong Yongliang was thrilled. Brother Black Panther was famous for his fighting ability. Once, a fellow from the provincial Sanda team, relying on being a professional athlete, got drunk and made a scene in the nightclub; many of the security guards were helpless against him. Then Brother Black Panther arrived and in a few rounds put the professional Sanda fighter flat on the ground. Zhong Yongliang had admired him enormously ever since.

So in his view, once Brother Black Panther took action, that Wei Zhao brat could go eat shit today. If he did not make him kneel before him and call him Brother Liang today, he would never let it go.

Yet Zhong Yongliang, bringing Gao Xiaofu and Zhang Naipao along, had come to school early, and waited until the first period was about to begin, and still there was no sign of Wei Zhao. Zhong Yongliang grew somewhat anxious — surely that brat had gotten scared and wasn't coming?

Then wouldn't he have gone to all the trouble of finding Brother Black Panther for nothing? If Wei Zhao didn't come, there was no point in Zhong Yongliang staying in the classroom either, so he waved his hand and walked out of the classroom with Gao Xiaofu and Zhang Naipao.

"Brother Liang, do you think that Wei Zhao brat went home yesterday and got the jitters, and after offending us doesn't dare come to school?" Gao Xiaofu analyzed.

"That's a possibility." Zhong Yongliang too knitted his brows; this was exactly what he was most worried about.

"No way. He can hide for a while, but can he hide forever? Unless he never wants to study at this school again — but he only transferred here yesterday, and he's quitting today?" Zhang Naipao was rather puzzled too. How could Wei Zhao come to school for just one day and then not come?

"Shit, this one day is bad enough too. You have to know Brother Black Panther doesn't have time every day; he still has to mind my dad's place. If my dad found out I got him to come out and fight for me, he'd skin me alive." Zhong Yongliang spoke with some worry.

"Yeah, that's true. If your dad agreed to let you run with that crowd and had Brother Black Panther be your bodyguard, Brother Liang, you'd definitely be even more of a big shot than Zou Ruoming. Isn't he just leaning on the backing of having an older brother in the underworld?" Gao Xiaofu said, thoroughly convinced.

"Enough about all that. My dad still hopes I'll test into a good university." Zhong Yongliang sighed. "If Wei Zhao really doesn't come today, then we lose a good chance to fix him. It won't be easy to get another chance like this later."

"Kang Xiaofeng is here. How about we get Brother Black Panther to fix him?" Zhang Naipao had been kicked by Kang Xiaofeng yesterday and bore a grudge.

"Damn it, does Kang Xiaofeng even need Brother Black Panther to step in? The few of us could put him on the ground ourselves." Gao Xiaofu shot Zhang Naipao a look of disdain. "Can't you come up with a better idea?"

"You're criticizing me? Then you come up with a good one," Zhang Naipao said, somewhat aggrieved.

"All right, you two, quit bickering." Zhong Yongliang pressed his hands down impatiently, found a step at the edge of the sports field, and sat down. He pulled out a cigarette and stuck it between his lips.

Click. Zhang Naipao hurriedly produced a lighter and lit it for Zhong Yongliang, then gave an awkward smile.

"Over there — looks like Zou Ruoming and his bunch are playing basketball. Brother Liang, what do you say we go join them for a while?" Gao Xiaofu pointed at a group of people playing basketball on the other side of the field.

"Not interested." Zhong Yongliang glanced at Zou Ruoming and the others in the distance and shook his head. "If Wei Zhao doesn't show up soon, I'll have no choice but to call Brother Black Panther and tell him to come another day."

"Brother Liang, Brother Liang, look — look over there, quick—" Zhang Naipao suddenly cried out.

"Damn it, what are you yelling for?" Zhong Yongliang, badly startled by Zhang Naipao's sudden outburst, glared at him and spoke in a testy voice.

"No, Brother Liang, it's Wei Zhao..." Zhang Naipao was stumbling over his words.

"What do you mean, 'no, Brother Liang, it's Wei Zhao'? I haven't changed my name yet, damn it. Even if I'm a total loser, I'm not about to rename myself Wei Zhao." Zhong Yongliang turned an irritated look on Zhang Naipao and frowned.