I'm Optimistic About You

Zhou Yuhu marched toward Shi Feng with a menacing air, intent on teaching him a lesson.

In the past, he had always let others handle the dirty work, but Shi Feng never seemed to learn his lesson. Today, he was determined to make sure the memory was etched deep into Shi Feng's bones.

Everyone present could already foresee Shi Feng's fate.

In a society where physical fitness was universal, sparring between students was perfectly normal. Even if someone got injured, it was considered acceptable as long as things didn't go too far.

However, judging by Zhou Yuhu's posture, Shi Feng would be spending at least a month in the hospital. By the time he was discharged, he would likely be standing on the podium to receive his diploma with his arm in a cast.

"Hold it, Zhou Yuhu. This is our classroom. What right does an outsider like you have to bully someone from our class?" Zhao Ruoxi's delicate frame suddenly blocked Shi Feng's path. Far from being intimidated by Zhou Yuhu's presence, she scolded him sharply.

Zhao Ruoxi's actions caught everyone by surprise. She was usually quiet, graceful, and appeared quite fragile; no one expected her to stand up for the class underdog, let alone challenge Zhou Yuhu directly. Her inner strength was truly unexpected.

"Ruoxi, don't make trouble. Brother Hu is just trying to give Shi Feng some pointers. This is Shi Feng's good fortune. He's always getting bullied, so maybe with Brother Hu's guidance, he'll grow up and learn how to behave," Lin Feilong explained with a smile. Because of Zhao Ruoxi's stunning beauty and alluring figure, he had long considered her his private property. Seeing her stand up for Shi Feng filled him with even greater rage toward the boy.

However, he couldn't show it. He reached out to grab Zhao Ruoxi's fair hand, intending to pull her away so she wouldn't get in the way.

"Lin Feilong, as the pride of our class, are you just going to stand there and watch while someone from another class bullies one of our own?" Zhao Ruoxi shook off his hand and looked at him with visible anger. She had previously thought Lin Feilong was a decent person, especially with his excellent performance in the fighting tournament, but she never imagined he would be such a hypocrite.

"Ruoxi, how can you say that? You've misunderstood me. Shi Feng doesn't know how to conduct himself; that's not my fault. Brother Hu is just teaching him a lesson so he'll have an easier time once he enters society," Lin Feilong said righteously, as if everything he did was for Shi Feng's own good.

"You!" Zhao Ruoxi was infuriated by Lin Feilong. She turned to Shi Feng and urged, "You need to leave, now. I'll hold him off."

"This little girl is interesting. Quite spicy—I like it." Zhou Yuhu's eyes raked over Zhao Ruoxi, and he felt a surge of desire. He couldn't help but curl his lips into a wicked smirk, reaching out to touch her face, his interest in Shi Feng momentarily forgotten.

But before his grubby hand could reach her, it was suddenly swatted away.

"Zhou Yuhu, if you want to spar, I accept. But just sparring is boring—why don't we add a wager?" Shi Feng stepped forward, pulled Zhao Ruoxi behind him by her arm, and looked at Zhou Yuhu with a calm smile.

Zhao Ruoxi was caught completely off guard. It wasn't until she was standing behind him that she looked at the not-so-tall Shi Feng in shock.

When did Shi Feng become so masculine?

Yet, she also thought he was being foolish. How could he possibly spar with Zhou Yuhu? This would only give the bully more of an excuse to beat him.

Zhou Yuhu rubbed his reddened hand, his face turning dark with rage. He glared at Shi Feng, only to notice that the boy was acting remarkably calm and composed. He was nothing like the impulsive, hot-headed person who used to throw his life away at the slightest provocation; it was as if he had become a completely different person. He wasn't even angry—he was smiling.

Did he get his head bashed in?

Lin Feilong was livid to see Shi Feng touch Zhao Ruoxi, and he longed to strike him down right then and there. However, he held back, deciding to deal with Shi Feng properly later.

"You little brat, you actually dare to challenge me? How interesting. I'll put up 1,000 Credit Points as a wager. If you win, the 1,000 Credits are yours. If you lose, you kneel and apologize, and pay me 1,000 Credits. Well? Do you have the guts to accept?" Zhou Yuhu laughed in fury, thinking Shi Feng had truly lost his mind.

"You call that a wager? How stingy," Shi Feng shook his head, looking at him with disdain.

"It's only been a few days, and you've grown quite bold, haven't you? What kind of wager do you want, then?" Zhou Yuhu was so angry he started to laugh. He knew Shi Feng's family background; the boy couldn't even afford 1,000 Credits, yet he was trying to raise the stakes. It seemed he was in a hurry to die.

"Don't you have a membership card for the Beidou Fitness Center that you won in the School Fighting Tournament? Let's use that as the wager. If I lose, I'll pay you 10,000 Credits in a month. If you don't dare, then forget it," Shi Feng challenged. In his previous life, Zhou Yuhu had bragged about this card to everyone. It would be perfect for his physical training now. The Beidou Fitness Center was famous in Jinhai City, with an elegant environment and top-tier equipment. Ordinary people weren't allowed in, and VIP memberships were hard to come by—each one was worth eight or nine thousand.

"Even if I put up this card, how can I trust a pauper like you to have that kind of money? I'm not taking your word for it," Zhou Yuhu sneered.

It was true; Shi Feng didn't have a single cent, let alone 10,000 Credits, which was why he had said "in a month." But Zhou Yuhu clearly wasn't buying it and continued to mock him. It seemed the deal was going to fall through.

"Shi Feng, I know your situation. You're so poor you can't even afford a decent meal, yet you're acting like a big spender," Qin Shuyu glanced at him with contempt.

"I'll cover the 10,000 Credits," Zhao Ruoxi said suddenly.

Seeing Zhao Ruoxi step up again, Lin Feilong's eyes turned bloodshot. He wanted nothing more than to kill Shi Feng on the spot.

Shi Feng was also stunned. He looked at Zhao Ruoxi in surprise, wondering where she got so much money. He didn't know much about her family background, only that they were well-off, but he couldn't understand why she would trust him enough to bet her money on him. They weren't even that close.

Zhao Ruoxi caught his gaze and, sensing his confusion, whispered, "I just can't stand Zhou Yuhu's arrogance. I'm lending it to you. Even if you lose the fight, don't lose your spirit. I believe in you."

"Thank you. I will definitely pay you back double," Shi Feng said with genuine gratitude.

This money was crucial. Zhou Yuhu would definitely agree to the wager now. Once he had that membership card, he could begin proper training.

The sooner he started, the better. Zhao Ruoxi had done him a massive favor. Once he made money in God's Domain, paying her back an extra 10,000 would feel like too little.

However, Zhao Ruoxi clearly didn't take his words seriously. She just smiled and nodded, not believing he could pay her back, let alone double.

"Hahaha, interesting. Let's go to the Fighting Arena and draw up the contract." Zhou Yuhu licked his lips, feeling even more intrigued by Zhao Ruoxi. His luck in God's Domain had been poor today, but his luck in reality was great. Not only had he found a beautiful girl, but he could also easily teach Shi Feng a lesson and pocket 10,000 Credits. A blessing in disguise, indeed.

The group immediately headed to the school's Fighting Arena. Under the surveillance of the Mainframe, they signed the contract—a document that was legally binding once recognized by the system.

The arena also provided a notary, usually a physical education teacher, who was skilled enough to intervene and prevent anyone from suffering life-threatening injuries during the match.

The students from their class stood by the ring, mocking Shi Feng for being an idiot. Wouldn't it have been better to just stay invisible like always? Now he's gone insane, picking fights with Lin Feilong and provoking someone even more dangerous like Zhou Yuhu. He's going to have a miserable time from here on out.

Qin Shuyu watched the calm and composed Shi Feng on the ring. He felt completely different from before, radiating an inexplicable sense of security. She even felt that the scrawny Shi Feng had somehow grown taller. She shook her head and scoffed, "A weakling who has never even learned a single combat technique—how strong could he possibly be? Challenging Brother Hu like this... he really doesn't know what death is."