The Hooligans at the School Gate

The Hooligans at the School Gate

The English teacher walked up to the podium and started by playing a long listening exercise. The recording rattled on and on, leaving Su Ke completely bewildered, his head spinning.

Of all his subjects, Chinese and English were the only ones he was particularly good at. His grades in math, physics, chemistry, and biology all hovered around the passing mark. Even he didn't understand why he hadn't chosen the humanities track.

Aside from struggling with listening exercises, Su Ke could score around 110 in English. Of course, the total was 150, and that was his best score.

Without the Flower Picking System, Su Ke would have had little doubt that he'd end up at some third-rate vocational college after the entrance exams. Or he might have chosen a major that made it easier to find a job. But now everything had changed, and the future was full of possibilities.

The English teacher was an elderly woman, an outstanding teacher who had returned to the school after retiring. She was almost sixty and went by Liu Shuzhen. Whenever she taught, she was sure to check whether students had memorized their passages. Anyone who couldn't recite theirs would immediately have to copy it out several times.

Her teaching philosophy was to make English take root in her students' bones. When they heard a sentence, they shouldn't need to think about the grammar; they should be able to write it correctly through sheer habit. A good memory and plenty of writing practice—that was her principle.

But Su Ke had always been the sort of student who faded into the background. His grades were decent, so she rarely checked his work.

The class soon reached the end under the students' anxious watch, and the bell rang. Most of them felt as if they'd just escaped a disaster. After English, the classroom was usually lively.

That morning, Ma Ke had revealed the sensational campus pervert story on No. 17 High School's Tieba, and it quickly spread through the class, becoming the main topic of conversation between lessons. Su Ke tried his hardest to keep anyone from noticing that something was off about him, but the truth was, trouble sometimes came looking for you...

"I really wonder who that pervert is. If I catch him, I'll beat the piss out of him!" Wang Xiaogang, the class's physical education representative, declared with great bravado. To be fair, he was about the same height as Su Ke, but he was built like a tank.

"Exactly. But that post says he's got fair skin and bright eyes, and that he blushes whenever he talks. He's obviously a little bottom. Wang Xiaogang, you could knock him flat with one finger!" Li Wei, standing beside Wang Xiaogang, promptly buttered him up.

They said Wang Xiaogang's family was in the lumber business, and that he came from a wealthy family. Since people could often mooch food and drinks off him, a few classmates always followed his lead and acted as his lackeys.

"Haha! The way you put it, I'm starting to think that post is describing Su Ke from our class!" Wang Xiaogang got up and walked over from his seat, shouting loudly as he went. "Su Ke fits the description perfectly. He's a classic pretty boy!"

Su Ke had kept his head down the whole time. Especially once they started talking about the pervert incident, he hadn't dared make a peep. He never expected Wang Xiaogang to identify the real culprit outright. He was so flustered that he could barely think, and completely missed the insult.

Su Ke had always been introverted and didn't have any close friends in class. He was always quiet and reserved, so people often made fun of him. But he usually responded with silence, and once they got bored, they'd naturally leave him alone.

Lackey Li Wei was perfectly in sync with Wang Xiaogang. He trotted over, muttering, "Exactly, exactly! Wang Xiaogang, you've got a sharp eye. It really is Su Ke, that pretty boy! Su Ke, look up. Let me see if you're blushing!"

If Su Ke still couldn't tell they were mocking him, he might as well be dead. But he couldn't do a thing about it—not even raise his voice to argue. Beneath the desk, his hands clenched into fists, his veins standing out.

"Come on, Su Ke. Lift your head and give me a smile!" Wang Xiaogang said, reaching out to raise Su Ke's chin. It was just like a scene from a TV show where a hooligan harassed a woman.

"Enough! What's the point of picking on your own classmate?"

A sudden shout stopped Wang Xiaogang. He raised an eyebrow and turned around. It was Wei Lan, the class's study representative. The girl was pretty and gentle-natured, and she usually spoke softly. He had no idea what had made her suddenly lose her temper.

"What's it to you? I'm just messing around with this pretty boy. Are you worried about him?" Wang Xiaogang wouldn't normally have gotten angry, but Wei Lan had scolded him in front of the entire class, making him feel humiliated. He glared at her and snapped.

Wei Lan didn't look the least bit afraid. She met his gaze. "Picking on your classmates is all you're good for? If you've got guts, go pick a fight with those hooligans outside the school!"

"You—" Wang Xiaogang stepped forward, looking ready to lose his temper. Fortunately, Li Wei grabbed his arm and pulled him back to his seat.

Wei Lan had hit a sore spot. Who would dare mess with those hooligans outside the school? Every time they got into a fight, they wouldn't stop until someone bled. Even he had been shaken down for protection money several times. His face turned red, then pale, and he wanted nothing more than to slap Wei Lan.

Su Ke had lifted his head as soon as Wang Xiaogang started getting angry. A flicker of red appeared in his eyes. He was deeply grateful to Wei Lan for standing up for him. If Wang Xiaogang really tried to hit him, Su Ke would fight back, even if he couldn't win.

Only after Wang Xiaogang returned to his seat did Su Ke look at Wei Lan. He hardly ever interacted with the study representative; they'd barely even exchanged a few words.

When he noticed Wei Lan looking his way, his cheeks started to redden again. He smiled at her to show his gratitude.

The bell rang, and the confrontation came to an end. But Su Ke had already started thinking of Wei Lan as a friend, even if it was all in his own mind.

The school was busiest at dismissal, and the area by the gate was especially crowded. Everyone seemed to be fleeing for their lives, eager to get home. Su Ke pushed his bike out through the gate and immediately saw three hooligans surrounding a girl.

"Hey, beautiful, why don't you come hang out with us?" said one of the hooligans, a flashy type with dyed-yellow hair. Grinning lewdly, he grabbed the girl's handlebars and blocked her way.

Two other hooligans stood beside him, both bare-chested. They seemed to be deliberately showing off the tattoos on their chests as they puffed themselves up and surrounded the girl.

The girl was frantic, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't break free of the three hooligans. She looked around anxiously, wishing someone would come to her aid.

"Beautiful, your skin is so nice. Mind if I give you a kiss? Don't worry, one kiss won't get you pregnant!" Yellow Hair grinned and reached out to touch the girl's face.

Su Ke had seen scenes like this countless times before. Every time, he'd simply pushed his bike along and left without hesitation. But this time, he stopped. His hands tightened around the handlebars until they began to tremble.

Because he knew the girl surrounded by those three hooligans.

It was Wei Lan, the very girl who had just stood up for him.