Striking Again

"Now, isn't it time for you to honor your promise?"

Xia Mu walked up to the Trio, his deep eyes, filled with an indescribable light, looking up at them.

Yamauchi and Kanji couldn't hold out for even a second; they knelt down nimbly, lowered their heads, and shouted, "Big Brother!"

Xia Mu's gaze shifted to Sudo, who had his fists clenched tight.

After a long moment, Sudo slowly unclenched his fists. The sharp, aggressive aura on his face vanished into thin air, and like a deflated balloon, he walked over to Xia Mu. He lowered his head, unwilling, but a bet is a bet: "Big Brother."

His tone was filled with dejection and self-doubt.

"Not bad, not bad."

Xia Mu reached out and patted Sudo on the head. "You're quite obedient. I'll teach you how to play basketball when I have time later."

This action scared Yamauchi and Kanji so much that they couldn't help but hug each other, clenching their glutes tight.

Good grief, could Xia Mu be gay?

"Alright, get up."

Xia Mu said to Yamauchi and Kanji, "You're making me look like a yakuza boss. If other students see this, it'll ruin my image."

Hearing this, Yamauchi and Kanji scrambled to their feet; they had their own reputations to maintain, after all.

"Remember to attend the study session."

The three figures, supporting each other as they left, couldn't help but shudder at Xia Mu's words, nodding frantically in a panic.

This was the second time they had lost to Xia Mu.

The surrounding students crowded around Xia Mu, snapping photos with their phones.

Seeing this, Xia Mu frowned and suddenly pulled out a pocket watch, spinning it continuously.

He applied a psychological suggestion, causing the events that had just occurred to gradually fade from their memories.

Since those people had been focused on him and their wills weren't particularly strong, they were quickly put under Hypnosis.

One by one, they rubbed their heads and dispersed, convinced in their hearts that what they had just witnessed was nothing more than an ordinary basketball one-on-one.

However, they all felt as if their brains had been nibbled on by a zombie, as if something was missing.

Seeing this, Xia Mu breathed a slight sigh of relief; he didn't want to attract any attention.

He opened his phone and called Horikita Suzune.

"Huff, huff, Horikita Suzune, I'm absolutely exhausted..."

"To beg them to attend your study session, I got beaten up and had to plead with them like crazy. It was miserable, you know?"

"So, did you succeed?" Horikita Suzune's cold voice rang out from the other end of the line.

"Mission accomplished!" Xia Mu clutched his chest, putting on a heroic, tragic air as if he had faced ten thousand foes alone. "But it was really hard work, my whole body is aching. You have to pay me more."

"Is that so?"

"Turn around and look."

As Horikita Suzune's words fell, Xia Mu also turned to look behind him.

Horikita Suzune was sitting in the spectator stands, squinting her eyes as she spoke into the phone, "You still want more money?"

Xia Mu hung up the phone, feeling slightly awkward. "I do, why wouldn't I?"

"Even if there's no merit, there's still the toil..."

"Get lost!"

"Stingy woman, no wonder you're flat-chested!"

Horikita Suzune couldn't even be bothered to argue with Xia Mu. She put away her phone and walked up to him. "I couldn't tell, you're actually quite capable."

Upon hearing this, Xia Mu wanted to pull out his pocket watch.

But Horikita Suzune had already turned and walked away.

Damn it, I need to find a chance to hypnotize her. Xia Mu felt a jolt of alarm; he hadn't noticed her in the spectator stands earlier.

Horikita Suzune knew too much; she would definitely be a source of constant trouble in the future.

He had to find a time to thoroughly hypnotize her and make her forget.

Time flew by. On this day, a hazy, drizzling rain was falling from the sky.

Xia Mu was walking down the road holding an umbrella with Sakura when his phone in his pocket began to vibrate violently.

He picked it up, and his gaze sharpened.

The program he had previously implanted into the fat guy was showing a response.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked with concern.

"It's nothing. You go back first; I'll come find you in a bit." Xia Mu shook his head, put his phone back in his pocket, and turned to walk in a different direction.

Sakura stood frozen in place. It was the first time she had seen Xia Mu look so urgent. Could it be that he was going to see a girlfriend?

Meanwhile, on the other side.

"What do you want to do?"

In a deserted corner, Zhu Xincheng clutched his schoolbag as he was continuously backed into a corner.

His legs were trembling uncontrollably. Standing before him was a tall, burly Black man wearing sunglasses, whose massive muscles looked incredibly intimidating.

Yamada heard this and pulled out his phone, the screen displaying a point balance.

The chubby boy understood instantly; this guy was here to collect points on behalf of Long Yuan.

Every month, the students of Class C were essentially required to hand over twenty percent of the points they received for Long Yuan to "keep safe."

They called it safekeeping, but everyone knew that once you gave them away, you could basically forget about ever getting them back.

Zhu Xincheng had already paid for two months, but this time, he didn't want to pay anymore.

However, if he didn't pay, he would surely be beaten up again.

He gritted his teeth, the words of Xia Mu echoing in his ears: "Don't be afraid, I will help you."

What's more, he had been learning Boxing...

Even though it had only been a few days, but...

"I refuse."

He set down his schoolbag and umbrella, his brow burning with resolve. "I've had enough."

Upon hearing this, the burly Yamada pushed up his sunglasses, then slammed his fist into his palm, creating a series of thumping sounds as he gradually closed in on Zhu Xincheng. "Asking for a beating."

Facing Yamada, who was nearly two heads taller than him, the chubby boy was afraid, but after a few days of practice, he had developed some combat instincts.

He assumed a Boxing stance.

"Hoo!"

He threw his fist first, swinging it toward Yamada.

"Bang!"

"Clatter~"

Yamada raised both hands to form a barrier, his body sliding back half a meter from the impact. He looked somewhat surprised.

But he remained calm, raising his fist and smashing it toward Zhu Xincheng.

The latter did not flinch, raising his own fist to meet the blow.

"Bang!"

As their fists collided, rainwater splashed everywhere. The chubby boy felt as if the opponent's fist were a hammer, the pain making him wince.

However, he would not give up easily. Shaking his stinging hand, he rushed forward again, his fists swinging continuously.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

His fists were like a rainstorm, constantly hammering against Yamada's guard.

"Too weak." After evaluating the force feedback from the punches, Yamada tilted his head to dodge the boy's attack, then landed a right hook squarely on the chubby boy's face.

The immense force sent him crashing to the ground.

Then, Yamada raised his foot, unceremoniously stomping toward the boy's face.

If that kick landed, the chubby boy's face would be swollen for at least half a month.

"Bang!"

But at that moment, another foot kicked out even faster, sending the surrounding rainwater flying.

Yamada's leg was kicked away violently. The sharp pain caused a look of agony to cross his face, and he stumbled backward, reeling.

Despite his efforts to suppress it, the area that had been kicked continued to tremble.

"Are you okay?"

Xia Mu extended his hand to the chubby boy, pulling him up.

The latter was incredibly excited. "Xia, you're here!"

"I didn't chicken out."

Xia Mu nodded. "Not bad, you've got spirit."

Then, he turned his head to look at the Black man before him.

Feeling the hostile gaze from Xia Mu, Yamada didn't hold back either; he endured the discomfort in his leg and launched an attack at Xia Mu.