MM | Chapter 33

Pride

On the way to Duxing Building, Big Mouth Xu kept chattering nonstop. Out of a sense of being a “good” student, Sheng Wang played along, occasionally responding with an “uh-huh,” though he didn’t actually listen to a word.

He glanced at Jiang Tian several times and couldn’t help but ask, “When did you go find Big Xu, the director?”

Jiang Tian replied firmly, “I didn’t.”

Big Mouth Xu walked ahead with his hands behind his back, several meters in front of them. Normally, he wouldn’t hear a conversation at this volume, but as a seasoned expert in catching rule-breakers, his ears were sharp.

He immediately turned around, glaring at Jiang Tian, and pointed at himself. “Are you denying it? Are you saying I’m making things up?”

Jiang Tian stopped abruptly, leaning back slightly to avoid the spittle from this middle-aged firecracker.

Big Mouth Xu wasn’t done venting and said to Sheng Wang, “Wasn’t the school network down that day? Teacher Sun was waiting for him at the computer lab, but he brought Xiao Sun over to talk to me about the surveillance. Are you using the school network as a hostage?”

Jiang Tian: “???”

His expression was so amusing that Sheng Wang suspected if it weren’t the director in front of him, Jiang Tian might have asked if he was an idiot.

Sheng Wang had seen Jiang Tian’s style of talking to teachers—cold and arrogant, practically begging for trouble.

Sure enough, Jiang Tian said stiffly, “Mingli Building is north, the computer lab is south, passing by Duxing Building was on the way. How is that detouring?”

“You’re talking back?”

“…”

“Director,” Sheng Wang reminded, “we’re the victims here.”

Big Mouth Xu snorted, calming down a bit. “I know, I’m just angry, not targeting you two. I just can’t hold back my temper.”

“Oh.” Sheng Wang pulled Jiang Tian behind him, standing between them. “Then save it for the real rule-breakers.”

Big Mouth Xu laughed in exasperation.

The office on the third floor of Duxing Building was closed, and even through the door, the tense atmosphere inside was palpable.

Sheng Wang and Jiang Tian exchanged a glance and followed Big Mouth Xu inside.

There were already people in the office, more than Sheng Wang had expected—

By the window stood two young men. One wore a black T-shirt and jeans, casually leaning against the windowsill. When the door opened, he greeted them with a cheerful smile.

It was Zhao Xi from “Those Years” BBQ.

The other had a short haircut, looking quite businesslike at first glance, but his hair was dyed grayish-green. He stood next to Zhao Xi, talking. Hearing the noise, he turned to glance at the door, nodding briefly.

Sheng Wang discreetly nudged Jiang Tian’s hand, whispering, “Who’s that?”

“The BBQ owner,” Jiang Tian replied, curling and releasing his fingers, letting a few words slip from his lips.

“Obviously, I know Zhao Xi,” Sheng Wang said.

“I meant the other one,” Jiang Tian said. “Lin Beiting.”

Sheng Wang remembered that the BBQ place was run by Zhao Xi and a friend. So, this Lin Beiting must be the real owner. He had imagined the real owner to be someone in a tank top and shorts, flip-flops, smelling of smoke and grilled skewers. He never expected this style.

Besides the two from the BBQ place, Yang Jing was also in the office.

She sat behind a desk, her slender eyebrows tightly knit, staring at the three students standing in front of her with a displeased expression.

All three wore the Affiliated High School uniforms, their backs looking similar at first glance. One kept his head down, while the other two, bolder, dared to look around.

“What are you looking at?” Big Mouth Xu burst into flames as soon as he entered the office, pointing at the students who were looking around. “Zhai Tao, count how many times you’ve been here this month. Do you have any intention of reflecting?”

For Sheng Wang and Jiang Tian, this guy was an old acquaintance. Seeing him in this setting was hardly surprising.

As for the one standing next to Zhai Tao, Sheng Wang found him somewhat familiar but couldn’t recall where he’d seen him before.

He nudged Jiang Tian again, whispering, “Who’s the one in the middle? Do you know him?”

Before Jiang Tian could respond, Big Mouth Xu wiped his face, exasperated. “It’s him! The one that told you to get the papers from Teacher Xiao Yang! Are you really a victim?”

Sheng Wang quickly waved his hand, saying, “Sorry, I didn’t remember his face.”

Zhao Xi chuckled by the window, making the student’s face even more sour.

To cover his own unseriousness, Zhao Xi cleared his throat and walked over from the window. “I see Xiao Sheng is quite confused. Director, didn’t you explain what happened?”

“Not yet. Should I shout it out for the whole school to hear?” Big Mouth Xu grumbled.

“Oh, let me explain briefly then.” Zhao Xi pointed to Lin Beiting. “Old Lin and I caught two troublemaking thugs at the shop that day. You know about that, right?”

Sheng Wang glanced at Jiang Tian, nodding. “I know, I even saw the photos. Thanks, Xi-ge.”

“Ah, it was nothing,” Zhao Xi said. “Anyway, my dad has all the surveillance. Those two thugs climbed over the wall from the residential building at 7:10 in the morning and hid at Xiushen Garden—”

Big Mouth Xu’s face turned green. “What kind of magpie?”

Zhao Xi quickly corrected himself. “No, Xiushen Garden. They hid there, and by 8:20, they came out covered in mud and bloody noses. No need to say what they did. Anyway, they confessed at the police station that their younger brother had been humiliated at the Affiliated High School and they couldn’t swallow it, so they came to block someone and make a scene.”

He pointed at Zhai Tao. “Look—this is the humiliated ‘brother.'”

Zhai Tao’s surname was Zhai, and the crewcut thug Sheng Wang had kneed was surnamed Wu, while the blonde thug was surnamed Lu. The brothers were all street-recognized.

At this age, boys are in their rebellious “golden period,” always wanting to assert some presence and voice. Zhai Tao had no face, no grades, and was particularly vain, relying on a group of like-minded brothers and sisters to support him, forcing himself to become the top dog of the second year at the Affiliated High School.

But his position wasn’t that glorious, as many in the grade looked down on him. Those people valued grades, and in that field, Jiang Tian was number one.

He couldn’t afford to make deep enemies with Jiang Tian, yet wanted to regain his face. After thinking it over, he targeted Sheng Wang, because he was a transfer student.

Transfer students have no backing—this is a basic principle.

This ecosystem exists in every school, and there’s no reason it would change for Sheng Wang.

During the time he was punished by Big Mouth Xu to sweep the street on Road No. 3, he knew Yang Jing wanted Sheng Wang and Jiang Tian for a competition. Zhai Tao had never participated in any competition, but he knew the teachers’ routine clearly—just doing exercises, exercises, exercises, and inevitably having to pick up new papers every few days.

He knew Sheng Wang had a good relationship with Jiang Tian and Gao Tianyang, but how good could it be after transferring for such a short time? No matter what, there would be times when he was alone.

So, he came up with what he thought was a brilliant plan. He planned to target the day Sheng Wang was alone, using the English competition as an excuse to lure Sheng Wang to Xiushen Garden. There were no cameras there, and even if they beat him up, there would be no evidence.

Zhai Tao often heard people in Class A joking that Sheng Wang was weak and frail. Plus, he looked refined and fair, exuding a young master vibe, so he concluded that Sheng Wang couldn’t fight. A couple of punches might make him cry. So, he didn’t call many people, just two brothers from outside school, thinking it was more than enough.

The student responsible for luring was named Ding Xiu, also a transfer student. He was a bit better off than Sheng Wang, not having to cross provinces. He transferred in during the second semester of the first year, moving into the biology class.

Life as a transfer student wasn’t easy. The unfamiliar pace of life, coupled with various disparities, made it easy to feel overwhelmed and isolated, leading to a mental breakdown.

Ding Xiu was a typical case.

He spent a semester at the Affiliated High School, his grades plummeting to the bottom, stuck in Class 12. So, he found someone to back him up—Zhai Tao.

He became one of Zhai Tao’s many brothers.

When Zhai Tao approached Ding Xiu about this matter, he was actually scared, but he eventually agreed. First, he feared displeasing Zhai Tao, and second… because he himself was discontent.

Why was there such a big difference when they were both transfer students?

A few days ago, Big Mouth Xu traced these events through the thugs and hallway surveillance, thinking this was the whole story. However, when he called Zhai Tao and Ding Xiu into the office, preparing to assign punishments, Zhai Tao implicated another person, shifting all the blame onto him.

“I just wanted to scare him, not make it such a big deal,” Zhai Tao said. “You don’t believe me? Ask Ding Xiu! Ask Wu Cheng and Lu Yuanliang! Didn’t I say if he got scared, we wouldn’t need to hit him? Go ask! It was that guy who suggested it, saying this monthly exam was important for Sheng Wang, and ruining it would hurt him more than a scare.”

Big Mouth Xu was so angry he nearly smashed his teacup, summoning the person Zhai Tao mentioned.

When Sheng Wang and Jiang Tian entered the office, Big Mouth Xu had just finished questioning them, and they hadn’t reached a consensus.

Zhai Tao and Ding Xiu seemed to have a “nothing to lose” attitude, stubbornly refusing to budge, as if they were full of reasons and everyone else was the fool. As for the third student, no matter what others said or did, he kept his head down.

His hair seemed to have two cowlicks, but those familiar with him knew one was real, and the other was a scar from a hard object. Sheng Wang wasn’t good at remembering faces, but he remembered that scar well.

His brow furrowed and then relaxed. He moved to the front of the boy, staring at him for a while before saying softly, “It’s really you, Old Qi.”

The other didn’t look up.

From Sheng Wang’s angle, he could only see the corner of his mouth twitching, as if he’d been slapped, looking both ugly and embarrassed. Not long ago, he’d stood at the podium, tugging his sleeves, laughing and saying, “Thank you! Thank you all for giving me face!”

In just a few days, he had no face left.

Maybe Sheng Wang stood in front of him for too long. He tugged at his sleeve for a while and suddenly said, “It wasn’t me, it has nothing to do with me! I barely talked to those two! They did a bunch of stupid things and now they’re blaming me!”

Zhai Tao, acting like an old hand, said, “Bullshit! How can you say you barely talked? You played basketball with me a lot when you were in Class 5! Now you’re in Class A and don’t recognize people? Are you so snobbish that your classmates know? Besides, out of everyone in the grade, why would I blame you?”

“How the hell would I know why?!” Qi Jiahao shouted, his neck turning red. “What does it have to do with being in Class A? I figured you out and don’t want to hang out with you anymore, is that not okay?!”

“Figure out your ass!” Zhai Tao cursed. “When you got beaten by your mom, who took you out to eat and drink? Did you get amnesia after moving up a class, you idiot? Just tell me—”

He pointed at Sheng Wang. “Wasn’t it you who told me the monthly exam was important to him?!”

“I didn’t!” Qi Jiahao said.

“Bullshit?”

“Enough!” Director Xu slammed the table, pointing at them. “Did I call you here to perform a street fight?”

Qi Jiahao wanted to argue, but then Yang Jing, who had been silent, spoke up.

She said, “Class Rep.”

Qi Jiahao instantly deflated, lowering his head again. In the entire office, the person he feared most was Yang Jing.

“When Old Xu said Sheng Wang had to improve by 50 places before the monthly exam to get the City Top Three Students, only four people were in the office: me, him, Sheng Wang, and Jiang Tian,” Yang Jing said. “I’m not the homeroom teacher, but I know who gets along with whom and who doesn’t. Even Gao Tianyang didn’t know about this. I doubt Sheng Wang and Jiang Tian mentioned it to anyone else, so it must have been you.”

“When I asked you to print papers and chatted with you, I casually mentioned it,” Yang Jing said, looking at him. “Only you knew. If you didn’t mention it, how would Zhai Tao know?”

She usually scolded people with authority, but her tone wasn’t harsh now, just disappointed.

For a student like Qi Jiahao, disappointment was the hardest to bear.

He struggled for a moment and said, “I really didn’t…”

Then he fell silent.

The office fell into silence. After a while, Director Xu rubbed his face and said, “That’s about it for this matter. Some things can’t be clarified just by asking. Only you know the truth in your hearts. Regardless of your intentions, the result was that a classmate missed a listening test. You might think, oh, it’s just a monthly exam; there’s always another chance. But what if this wasn’t cleared up? What if they lost the City Top Three Students because of it, and then missed the best early admission opportunity because they lacked that honor? And then?”

Director Xu paced with his hands behind his back, asking word by word, “Though the college entrance exam isn’t the end, it can influence a part of life. If you mess up someone else’s life, how do you compensate?”

He looked at Qi Jiahao. “You worked so hard for it; you know how important the City Top Three Students is. Yet you trample on someone else’s efforts like this? Do you think you’re worthy of being a City Top Three Students?”

Qi Jiahao clenched his jaw, the bone at the side of his face twitching.

Director Xu stood straight and said, “I don’t think you’re worthy.”

He turned to Sheng Wang and Jiang Tian. “Wasn’t Qi Jiahao the only one selected for the City Top Three Students in your class?”

Sheng Wang didn’t respond, and Director Xu didn’t expect them to. He said, “Have Teacher He redo the election. Qi Jiahao’s spot is revoked, and Zhai Tao, Ding Xiu, and Qi Jiahao will receive disciplinary action.”

After dealing with them, he turned to Sheng Wang. “As for your City Top Three Students, you were indeed the fastest improving in the whole grade over two exams. I asked Teacher Xiao Yang, and if you had completed the listening test, you would have lost very few points. Adding those points, improving by 50 places wouldn’t have been a problem. So… let’s cancel the previous condition, and the City Top Three Students spot is still yours. How about that?”

Sheng Wang didn’t respond immediately.

He wasn’t actually concerned about the City Top Three Students spot; he only cared if his efforts matched the rewards.

Initially, the City Top Three Students was rightfully his, but it was taken away just like that. Now, when he had already accepted not having it, someone wanted to give it back to him.

Why? Do I need it?

Sheng Wang thought for a moment and said to Director Xu, “I don’t want it.”

Big Mouth Xu’s eyes widened immediately, and even Zhai Tao, Ding Xiu, and Qi Jiahao looked over sharply. Only Jiang Tian beside him let out a short laugh, equally proud.

Sheng Wang suddenly felt incredibly satisfied.

He said, “A promise is a promise. If I didn’t improve by 50 places, then I didn’t. I don’t want the City Top Three Students spot.”

Is it satisfying? As long as it is.