"Augh—!"
Zou Ruoming let out a painful howl. His wrist had already been dislocated by the impact; the basketball tore through his hands and slammed directly into his face!
*Bang!*
Another loud crash rang out. This time, Zou Ruoming didn't even have time to scream before he collapsed to the ground, blood spraying from his nostrils. The blood traced a crimson arc through the air, possessing a certain cold, aesthetic beauty.
Zou Ruoming was knocked unconscious instantly. The lackeys playing basketball alongside him were stunned. Was this even basketball anymore?
It was practically a cannonball!
Looking at the culprit, Lin Yi acted as if nothing had happened. He brushed the dust off his hands and continued walking toward the teaching building.
Lin Yi thought to himself with disdain, *Trying to act tough with me?*
*This was a light one. If there's a next time, I'll hit you so hard you won't be able to take care of yourself—or worse, you'll end up a vegetable.*
"That kid hit Brother Ming! Don't let him get away!"
Someone shouted, and only then did Zou Ruoming's subordinates snap out of it, all eyes turning toward Lin Yi in the distance.
Hearing the shout, Lin Yi turned back with irritation. He swept a cold gaze over the group, let out a sneer, and continued toward the teaching building.
Under the weight of Lin Yi's icy stare, everyone felt an inexplicable shiver run down their spines. Seeking revenge for Brother Ming was a noble wish, but the execution...
Looking at the unconscious Zou Ruoming on the ground—his wrist deformed and his face covered in blood—the group recoiled.
This... was actually caused by just a basketball?
With Zou Ruoming serving as a warning, no one dared to be the first to provoke Lin Yi. Who would be the idiot? Their leader was already down; what could they possibly have that was more impressive than Zou Ruoming?
The group lowered their heads. The subordinate who had shouted earlier shut his mouth as well. They scrambled to lift Zou Ruoming up and rushed toward the school clinic.
***
Zhong Pinliang had skipped morning self-study today. Upon arriving at school, he had called a man named Brother Black Panther, one of his father's associates. Brother Black Panther was a figure in the Songshan City underworld, responsible for providing security for "Prosperous Years," a nightclub owned by Zhong's father.
Zhong Pinliang had asked him to deal with Lin Yi. Initially, Brother Black Panther was somewhat dismissive. He was just a student; why would he need to personally intervene? He could just send a few underlings to handle it!
He felt a certain contempt for the fact that Zhong Pinliang and his friends couldn't even handle a single student, but out of respect for Zhong's father, he kept it to himself.
After all, the boy was a "Crown Prince," the eldest son of a major corporation. Brother Black Panther wasn't stupid; why offend him for no reason?
However, he still felt it was a bit beneath his dignity to deal with a mere brat.
But after being relentlessly badgered by Zhong Pinliang—who insisted the new transfer student was incredibly formidable and a trained fighter—Brother Black Panther finally agreed to bring some men to take a look.
Having finally secured Brother Black Panther's involvement, Zhong Pinliang was ecstatic. Brother Black Panther was famous for his fighting skills!
Once, a member of a provincial Sanda (kickboxing) team, relying on his professional training, had gotten drunk and started a rampage in the nightclub. Many security guards were helpless against him, but when Brother Black Panther stepped in, he knocked the professional fighter to the ground in just a few rounds. This had left Zhong Pinliang deeply impressed.
Therefore, in his eyes, as long as Brother Black Panther showed up, that kid Lin Yi was finished. If Lin Yi didn't kneel before him and call him "Brother Liang" today, he wouldn't let it rest.
And so, Zhong Pinliang, along with Gao Xiaofu and Zhang Naipao, had arrived at school early!
However, as the first period approached, there was still no sign of Lin Yi. Zhong Pinliang began to get anxious. *Could the kid be scared and not show up?*
*If so, wouldn't I have wasted my time calling Brother Black Panther?* If Lin Yi wasn't coming, there was no point in Zhong Pinliang staying in the classroom, so he waved his hand and led Gao Xiaofu and Zhang Naipao out of the room.
"Brother Liang, do you think Lin Yi got scared after yesterday? Maybe he's too afraid of offending us to come to school?" Gao Xiaofu analyzed.
"It's possible!" Zhong Pinliang frowned. That was exactly what he was worried about.
"No way. He can hide for a while, but can he hide forever? Unless he doesn't want to attend this school anymore. But he just transferred here yesterday; would he quit today?" Zhang Naipao was also puzzled. How could Lin Yi skip school after only one day?
"Damn, this is a problem. You know, Brother Black Panther isn't available every day; he has to help my dad watch the club. If my dad finds out I called him out to fight for me, he'll skin me alive!" Zhong Pinliang said with concern.
"True. If your dad let you run wild and hired Brother Black Panther as your personal bodyguard, Brother Liang, you'd definitely be even more powerful than Zou Ruoming. He only acts tough because he has a gangster brother backing him up!" Gao Xiaofu added earnestly.
"Drop it. My dad is still counting on me to get into a good university!" Zhong Pinliang sighed. "If Lin Yi really doesn't show up today, we'll miss a great chance to teach him a lesson. It won't be easy to get another chance like this later!"
"Kang Xiaobo is coming. Should we have Brother Black Panther deal with him instead?" Zhang Naipao, who had been kicked by Kang Xiaobo yesterday, was still nursing a grudge.
"Are you an idiot? Does Kang Xiaobo need Brother Black Panther? The three of us can take him down!" Gao Xiaofu rolled his eyes at Zhang Naipao. "Can't you come up with a better idea?"
"You're picking on me? Then why don't you suggest something better?" Zhang Naipao replied indignantly.
"Enough, you two. Stop arguing!"
Zhong Pinliang waved them off impatiently. He found a set of stairs by the playground to sit on, pulled out a cigarette, and put it in his mouth.
*Click!*
Zhang Naipao quickly produced a lighter to light it for him, smiling awkwardly.
"It looks like Zou Ruoming and his group are playing basketball over there. Brother Liang, should we go over and join them for a bit?" Gao Xiaofu pointed toward a group of people playing on the other side of the field.
"Not interested."
Zhong Pinliang glanced at Zou Ruoming's group and shook his head. "If Lin Yi doesn't show up soon, I'll just have to call Brother Black Panther and tell him to come another day."
"Brother Liang! Brother Liang! Look, look quickly—!" Zhang Naipao suddenly shouted.
"Damn, what are you yelling for?"
Zhong Pinliang was startled by Zhang Naipao's outburst. He glared at him and spoke irritably.
"No, Brother Liang, it's Lin Yi..." Zhang Naipao's voice was trembling.
"What do you mean 'not Brother Liang, it's Lin Yi'? I haven't changed my name! Damn, even if I were the unluckiest guy alive, I wouldn't change my name to Lin Yi!" Zhong Pinliang looked at Zhang Naipao with dissatisfaction, frowning.
"Brother Liang, what I mean is... Lin Yi is here! He's here!"
Zhang Naipao finally finished what he wanted to say and let out a sigh of relief.