"Chen Zhu" got beaten up?

Chen Zhu had placed eighth in his year on the last exam, so naturally, he was assigned to the first exam room for the Second Mock Exam.

After the morning math exam, plenty of people came over to compare answers with him again. His middle school classmate Wang Changhua was the loudest. "Chen Zhu, Chen Zhu! Did you get 2 and -2 for the maximum and minimum in the second-to-last big question?"

Chen Zhu nodded. "Yes."

"Yes!"

Wang Changhua pumped his fist in his trademark gesture of excitement, then said with a grin, "The Second Mock Exam felt way easier than the First Mock Exam! I've definitely got 130 in math this time. No idea what the teachers who set the paper were thinking..."

"Fuck! Wang Changhua, would it kill you to stop showing off?"

A classmate beside him said irritably, "You do this every time. You brag the second the exam's over, then play dead when the papers come back. Tell us, when have you ever scored over 120 in math, physics, or chemistry?"

"You're looking down on me, huh?"

Wang Changhua stuck out his neck and argued, "I'll break 120 this time, just you watch! When I do, you'll have to call me Big Brother Hua!"

Some people weren't bad by nature, but they were born braggarts, hoping it would make them the center of attention.

Wang Changhua was exactly that type. He had even once announced in public that he would treat Chen Zhu to a trip to the arcade, only to disappear for an entire month afterward.

"All right, all right, stop arguing..."

Chen Zhu smiled as he tried to break it up.

Just then, Chen Zhu noticed Zhang Chao walking over and couldn't help frowning.

This floor housed exam rooms one through five. Even Wang Changhua had run up from downstairs to compare answers. A sports student like Zhang Chao should have been sleeping in the very last exam room.

In terms of grades alone, Zhang Chao was like a lowly Foundation Establishment cultivator who had wandered into a gathering of Spirit Transformation big shots.

But when he noticed Zhang Chao's gaze fixed on him, Chen Zhu knew he must want something.

"What's up?"

Chen Zhu asked calmly.

Zhang Chao glanced at Wang Changhua beside him, signaling for Chen Zhu to step away so they could talk.

Chen Zhu followed him, leaving Wang Changhua, who loved being part of the action but couldn't get in on it, watching wistfully from a short distance away.

"I heard something."

With his hands in his pockets, Zhang Chao gazed into the distance, trying to look as mysterious as possible. "Someone's going to ask you to meet at the abandoned parking lot nearby at eight tomorrow night for a little talk."

There was indeed an abandoned parking lot near Zhizhong High School. Actually, it was due to be redeveloped into buildings, and so much construction material had been piled there that no cars parked there anymore.

"A little talk?"

Chen Zhu froze for a moment before realizing what he meant. Among high school students, this "little talk" probably meant teaching him a lesson.

"Who wants to talk to me?"

Chen Zhu asked instinctively.

"Heh."

Zhang Chao sneered. "Have you pissed off so many people at school that you can't even figure out who wants to go after you?"

Zhang Chao felt that coming over to warn him in advance was already enough of a favor for his mother's sake. But he absolutely couldn't name the person behind it. That would be far too disloyal!

As for Chen Zhu, one or two faces flashed through his mind, but he wasn't sure.

So Chen Zhu glanced at Zhang Chao and deliberately bluffed. "I'm an honest guy, and I don't talk much. I've never had a conflict with a classmate in all three years of high school. If I've offended anyone, it would have to be you."

"Aren't you just pointing the finger to cover for yourself? You're actually the one who wants to teach me a lesson, aren't you?"

Chen Zhu wore a suspicious expression.

That infuriated Zhang Chao. He had kindly come to tip Chen Zhu off, only to be treated like an enemy agent. He couldn't help cursing, "Stop talking fucking bullshit! You stole the girl Li Jianming likes, and you're blaming him for going after you?"

"Oh, so it's Li Jianming."

Chen Zhu was a little surprised, though not all that surprised.

Li Jianming had probably held a grudge ever since Chen Zhu had kicked him out of the classroom, but that alone hadn't pushed him to violence.

The real trigger must be the rumors about Song Shiwei and me. Li Jianming hangs around outside Class 11 every day. There's no way he hasn't heard.

At that thought, Chen Zhu couldn't help sighing.

In the eyes of these students worn down by relentless studying, a tiny misunderstanding between a boy and a girl in high school could look like a beautiful romance quietly blossoming.

The truth is, I haven't even fucking added Song Shiwei on QQ yet. Being misunderstood like this really feels like getting the short end of the stick.

At this point, Chen Zhu still had one question. "Is Li Jianming going to have this talk with me himself?"

If it's Li Jianming, that little guy couldn't beat me in a fight. Wouldn't he need to bring in a 'Big Brother Wang Kai' to help?

Sure enough, Zhang Chao said sullenly, "His buddies from outside school want to talk to you."

Chen Zhu nodded. He didn't yet know whether any of this was true, and the Second Mock Exam was definitely more important right now.

Still, if it was true, Li Jianming had picked his moment well.

Tomorrow night's evening study session would be right after the Second Mock Exam ended. The teachers would all be busy marking papers and compiling rankings, so none of them would be in the classrooms.

"Got it. Thanks."

Whatever the case, Chen Zhu thanked Zhang Chao.

"Um..."

Just then, Zhang Chao suddenly coughed.

Seeing him hesitate, Chen Zhu immediately understood that he wanted something. Otherwise, why would he turn traitor to his delinquent buddies? He encouraged him with a look to go on.

"My mom said... could you give us back the apology and pledge letter, the medical report, and all that evidence?"

Zhang Chao was too embarrassed to ask outright. After all, he was trading information by selling out a friend, so he shifted the responsibility onto his mother, making it sound like it was entirely her idea.

Those things were of little use to Chen Zhu. Besides, Zhang Chao had taken the initiative to show goodwill, so he probably wouldn't harass Yu Xian again.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Zhu said, "Then come get them from me in three business days."

"Huh?"

Zhang Chao was dumbfounded. "Why is it business days again?"

After Zhang Chao left, Chen Zhu quietly considered how to handle this.

He could use rules to keep Zhang Chao in line because Zhang Chao wanted to go to university. But that approach wouldn't work on street punks, so the best option was to report it to the school.

He would see how the school responded first. If they tried to sweep it under the rug, he would go straight home and tell his dad.

Chen Peisong had years of grassroots work experience and plenty of friends at the Police Station. Besides, this was 2007. They would surely have ways to deal properly with street punks who had no connections or backing and liked to loiter around town.

Once he had gradually sorted out his approach, Chen Zhu put it out of his mind. After all, he couldn't even be sure whether it was real. Finishing the Second Mock Exam deserved his full attention first.

"Chen Zhu."

His middle school classmate Wang Changhua came over and asked curiously, "What did he want with you?"

Zhang Chao had always been a prominent figure at school, being a sports student who was very good at basketball. Chen Zhu had been attracting plenty of attention lately too, but why would those two get together?

Wang Changhua was itching to know.

"Nothing much."

Of course, Chen Zhu couldn't tell Wang Changhua.

"But I just heard something about tomorrow night... eight o'clock... the abandoned parking lot..."

Wang Changhua had probably overheard Zhang Chao's first remark and kept pestering Chen Zhu for details.

"Oh..."

Chen Zhu tossed out a casual joke. "A girl on the track team asked me to go there at eight tomorrow night so she can confess her feelings. I'm considering whether to say yes."

"Really?"

Wang Changhua was a little doubtful, but Chen Zhu had always been honest and never lied. Besides, Zhang Chao was a sports student too, so having him pass along the message seemed to make sense.

"Who's the girl on the track team... Yu Lili or Gong Yanyan?"

Wang Changhua desperately wanted to get to the bottom of it, but Chen Zhu simply wouldn't answer.

The two afternoon exams were physics and English. Chen Zhu finished both without being affected in the slightest.

The chemistry exam the next day went the same way. Chen Zhu had almost forgotten about the whole thing.

Then evening study began. As his classmates anxiously waited for their exam results, someone suddenly called from the doorway, "Chen Zhu, come out here for a minute!"

Everyone turned to look. It was actually Li Jianming.

"What does he want with you?"

Huang Bohan asked in puzzlement.

"Who knows?"

Chen Zhu smiled and checked the time. It was 7:45. These little punks were pretty punctual.

Li Jianming, who stood under 1.7 meters tall, saw Chen Zhu come out, and a flash of excitement at the prospect of sweet revenge crossed his eyes. Then he said expressionlessly, "A few friends want to meet you at the abandoned parking lot nearby for a talk."

"If you don't go..."

Li Jianming put a little more force into his voice. "You'd better watch yourself on your way to and from school from now on."

Chen Zhu paid no mind to the threat and simply asked, "Are you sure about this? Can you handle the consequences?"

Chen Zhu's reaction was completely different from other students', so much so that, for a moment, Li Jianming felt as though he was the one being threatened. He looked away, avoiding Chen Zhu's eyes. "They just want to talk to you. They're not going to do anything."

"Fine."

Chen Zhu didn't try to dissuade him again. He had already given him a chance. Instead, he asked, "Will you be there?"

"No. I'm just passing along a message."

Li Jianming left as soon as he finished speaking. He felt a great deal of psychological pressure around Chen Zhu, as though he couldn't speak or act freely in front of him.

Chen Zhu didn't dwell on it either. Just as he had decided earlier, he went straight to the Teachers' Office.

His homeroom teacher, Yin Yanqiu, was looking over the class rankings. When she saw Chen Zhu come in, she immediately said with a smile, "Chen Zhu, you did well on the Second Mock Exam. You should be first in the year in physics."

Not only had Chen Zhu's and Song Shiwei's grades not dropped in this Second Mock Exam, but both had independently improved a little.

As far as Yin Yanqiu was concerned, if "teenage romance" could produce results like this, she wished her class had a few more couples like them.

Chen Zhu and Song Shiwei seemed to be just one final Gaokao away from becoming a celebrated story at Zhizhong High School.

"It's all thanks to your strict guidance, Teacher Yin. That's how we managed to get these results."

Even at a time like this, Chen Zhu didn't forget to flatter her before saying, "Teacher Yin, there's something I'd like to report to you..."

At first, Yin Yanqiu didn't pay much attention, sipping her dried tangerine peel water as she listened to Chen Zhu.

But as he went on, her expression grew serious. She set her insulated cup down with a bang, pulled Chen Zhu along, and said, "Come on. We're going to Director Cao!"

The head of their year, Cao Jingjun, was furious when he heard about it too. He had grown very fond of Chen Zhu, who had, after all, made him look good in front of his old classmate Qi Zheng.

Still, even if it hadn't been Chen Zhu, an ordinary student couldn't be allowed to suffer threats from some punk outside the school either.

So he immediately called over several young staff members from the Security Office, and their group of seven or eight headed to the abandoned parking lot near the school.

Within two or three minutes, they reached the pitch-black parking lot and began looking around for the punks.

Suddenly, one of the security guards said, "It looks like someone's getting beaten up over there."

Cao Jingjun hurried over as soon as he heard that, with Chen Zhu following behind. The closer they got, the clearer the sounds of the beating became.

"Chen Zhu, I didn't even want to beat you up at first, but you're too fucking infuriating!"

"Stealing my buddy's girlfriend is one thing, but you won't even admit you're Chen Zhu!"

"If you won't admit it, what did you sneak over here for? Huh? I'm asking you a question!"

"Huh?"

As Chen Zhu ran, his footsteps suddenly slowed.

This is a pretty profound philosophical question.

If the guy getting beaten up is Chen Zhu...

Then who the fuck am I?

(Sorry this was a little late. There will be another chapter at eight tonight.)

(End of chapter)