On the other side.
Under the shade of the trees across the playground.
The principal stood alongside a messy middle-aged man with long hair and a scruffy beard, watching the simulation test on the playground.
“This kid’s movement technique is quite interesting,” the man remarked with a slight nod.
“Indeed, he’s the top student of our grade,” the principal said regretfully. “He missed the first exam, which I think is a real pity, so I invited you to take a look.”
The man yawned lazily and said, “His movement skills show some talent—if his mental power scores full marks, I might consider giving him a chance.”
“Full marks for mental power? Mr. Qian, isn’t that a bit too demanding?”
The principal couldn’t help but ask.
After all, Shen Ye’s weakest point was his mental power.
Though it was decent compared to his peers at this school, it was quite average on a city or provincial level.
Seeing the principal’s hesitant expression, the man shook his head.
“If the mental power isn’t enough, there’s simply nothing to be done.”
“Let’s wait for the mental power results; maybe he’ll score high,” the principal suggested.
“A high score isn’t enough. Only full marks meet the requirement,” the man emphasized.
The principal sighed involuntarily.
Shen Ye, of course, was oblivious to this scene.
It was nearing noon.
Many students had finished the simulation test and went back to the dormitories.
Most others headed to the cafeteria.
Chen Haoyu went to wash off the paint on his body.
He had already arranged to meet Shen Ye on the small path outside the cafeteria for lunch.
With some time to spare, Shen Ye returned to the classroom and began working on a set of questions from the Language and Scientific Knowledge test.
Drill, drill, and drill!
He had to drill!
Subjects like math, physics, and chemistry were fine; they were the same.
But for humanities, including historical figures, events, and literary works, everything was unfamiliar, requiring him to recall them once more.
Unlike other students, much of his knowledge needed to be reactivated through practice.
In fact, Language and Scientific Knowledge was the subject he felt least confident about.
An ocean of questions!
It was enough to drive anyone crazy.
Shen Ye buried himself in the questions, and before he knew it, it was already noon.
When the bell rang, he looked up and realized the classroom was nearly empty.
Lunchtime.
He was hungry.
Stretching, Shen Ye decided to finish the last big question before heading out to meet Chen Haoyu for lunch.
Outside the window, a tall figure blocked the light.
Ba… Ba Sheepy?
Rubbing his eyes, Shen Ye looked carefully, only to realize it was Sun Ming.
“What’s up?”
Shen Ye asked.
“Brat, Zhao Yibing doesn’t even want to acknowledge you.” Sun Ming stared at him fiercely and spat out a sentence.
“That’s great news,” Shen Ye replied with a smile.
“Don’t think putting on a disinterested act will get her attention,” Sun Ming sneered.
“I genuinely don’t ever want to see her again,” Shen Ye said earnestly.
Sun Ming let out a cold snort and turned his head to signal down the hallway.
Six or seven male students came over.
They entered the classroom, shut the door, and surrounded Shen Ye.
Shen Ye smiled and said, “Is this really necessary? We’re all friends here.”
Entry ‘Comrade‘ activated!
The next moment.
Everyone’s expressions shifted.
“We’re such good buddies; why are you surrounding me?” Shen Ye spread his hands.
“No choice, Zhao Yibing asked me to stand up for her,” Sun Ming scratched his head awkwardly.
“Yeah, we don’t want to fight a friend; it’s really difficult for us,” another student chimed in.
“It’s just that I like her too much, and you’re always so smug. That’s why I want to hit you,” someone else added.
“Forget it, since we’re friends, I won’t hit you.”
“Agreed.”
They all started talking at once.
Ten seconds.
Time’s up.
The group snapped out of their daze, instantly forgetting what they had just said.
They closed in on Shen Ye again.
Shen Ye placed his phone on the windowsill, tidied up his stationery, and slowly stood up.
After listening to their words, he felt reassured.
This was just a fight between students; none of these people were the one who wanted to kill him.
“I don’t want to cause trouble.”
Shen Ye sincerely continued, “I hope you all think this through. The second middle school exam is the day after tomorrow.”
“The movement technique test is crucial. If you get injured, it could affect your performance and your future prospects.”
“I hope you’ll consider your own well-being.”
The group exchanged uncertain glances.
Sun Ming snorted and said, “You shouldn’t have treated Zhao Yibing that way; we couldn’t just let it slide.”
“Yeah, she said you even scolded her afterward.”
“She cried all morning.”
“You really are infuriating.”
Shen Ye looked at them calmly.
After what happened this morning, he thought Zhao Yibing had already quieted down.
But now, it seemed she had gone off to chant and prepare her ultimate move.
Now, she had unleashed her big move—
“Zhao Yibing’s Fishpond”!
Shen Ye was beginning to lose patience.
With exams approaching, he needed to focus on his studies, not waste time on trivial matters like this.
“What do you want?” Shen Ye asked.
“Don’t bother Zhao Yibing anymore,” Sun Ming demanded.
“Yeah.”
“Stay away from her.”
“You can’t even get into a top high school, so stop clinging to her.”
They all spoke at once.
Shen Ye picked up his test paper from the desk, showing it to them, and smiled.
“I’m working on questions here. How am I bothering her?”
The group fell silent.
Sun Ming took out his phone, dialed a number, and put it on speaker.
“Hello?”
Zhao Yibing’s voice came through.
“Bingbing, I’m with Shen Ye,” Sun Ming said.
“Why are you still hanging out with him? You know he bullied me,” Zhao Yibing’s voice carried a hint of grievance.
“I’ve talked to Shen Ye, and he promised not to bother you anymore,” Sun Ming said.
He held the phone up to Shen Ye.
Shen Ye decided he might as well play along.
Zhao Yibing had just said, “You know he bullied me,” not “You know he bullied me.”
This proved she knew exactly what was happening and what these boys were doing.
Staying away from a girl like that was something Shen Ye couldn’t wish for more.
“Zhao Yibing, I won’t bother you anymore,” Shen Ye said.
“I hate you,” Zhao Yibing said and immediately hung up.
Beep—beep—
The phone line went dead.
“Alright, it’s settled. You guys can leave now; I’ve got more questions to work on,” Shen Ye said with a smile.
Sun Ming suddenly threw a punch.
“She hates you, did you hear that? Damn pretty boy, just looking at you makes me sick!”
He yelled.
This sparked the group’s emotions, and they surrounded Shen Ye, punching and kicking him.
Shen Ye had no room to evade. After blocking a few hits, he stumbled, feeling a burning pain in his back.
“And this is supposed to be the top student?”
Sun Ming sneered.
His first punch had been blocked, but as Shen Ye turned to fend off others, Sun Ming took the opportunity to strike from behind, landing a solid hit.
In that moment—
Shen Ye’s smile vanished.
So this is it. All you really want is a fight, huh?
Just before the critical exams, you’ve decided to beat up a student who missed the first test.
That student happens to be the former top of the grade.
It must feel great, satisfying even.
Something you’ll fondly recall in the future.
And it pleases Zhao Yibing, standing up for her, earning her favor.
After all, she said, “I hate you.”
She probably wants me beaten up too.
A win-win situation, everyone’s happy.
How wonderful.
“Absorb Entry.”
Shen Ye silently activated it in his mind.
The entry “Comrade” had already been used once, and he found it unimpressive.
It could only be used once per day.
“It can only be used against people of similar strength.”
“If there had been an assassin earlier, it would have been completely useless.”
“It’s better to use it to enhance my strength.”
In an instant, rows of glowing text appeared on his retina:
“Devouring successful.”
“You have devoured this green entry, gaining 3 attribute points.”
“Your current total attribute points: 4.”
“By your will, the current attribute points are added to Strength.”
“Your Strength is now: 5.2 (1.2 + 4).”
“Strength, as a fundamental attribute, isn’t merely brute force. It encompasses the hardness of the limbs and bones, the resilience of the internal organs, the toughness of the meridians, the explosive power of the body, and the life-span of all cells. Combined, they are referred to as an individual’s ‘Strength.’”
Thud.
Another punch landed on Shen Ye.
Shen Ye remained motionless.
The sound of rushing wind reached his ears as another boy swung a fist toward his face.
Shen Ye didn’t block it. Instead, he turned his head slightly to collide with it.
Crack.
A crisp sound echoed as the boy clutched his arm and let out an ear-piercing scream.
His cry carried a hint of despair.
With the physical agility test just two days away, breaking his arm now was disastrous.
It would definitely affect his performance.
—But what was the use of regret?
Shen Ye endured a flurry of punches from the group and sent another boy flying with a powerful kick, slamming him into the wall.
Taking a step forward, he drove his knee into the side of another boy with full force.
Knee strike!
The boy spat out blood and collapsed on the spot.
Shen Ye turned around, grabbed Sun Ming by the neck, and slammed him to the ground, raining punches down on his face.
The remaining boys swarmed Shen Ye like madmen.
Shen Ye seized Sun Ming by the hair, using him as a shield against their attacks.
“I wonder,” Shen Ye said in Sun Ming’s ear, “what Zhao Yibing will think when she finds out all of you are out of the game.”
Sun Ming struggled desperately, but he couldn’t break free from Shen Ye’s grip.
He had thought that with five or six people, they could easily overpower Shen Ye and teach him a lesson.
But in practice, everything spiraled out of control.
Should he apologize? Beg for mercy?
Maybe that could save him?
Zhao Yibing’s pitiful image flashed through his mind.
“You’re no longer the top of the grade!”
Sun Ming roared, elbowing Shen Ye in the chest with all his might. The strike landed with the sound of hitting thick rubber.
—A middle schooler at 14 or 15 years old with a strength level of 1 was already on par with an average adult male.
That was impressive, ranking well within the grade.
But Shen Ye’s current strength was 5.2.
5.2 against 1.
Shen Ye didn’t feel a thing. Tightening his grip on Sun Ming’s neck, he continued to use him as a shield against the others while speaking in a conversational tone:
“What makes you think you can order me around?”
For some reason, an indescribable fear surged in Sun Ming’s heart.
The next moment—
Sun Ming was like a stick in Shen Ye’s hand, used to sweep the crowd.
A thunderous crash erupted in the classroom.
Several boys were sent flying, smashing into desks and chairs before collapsing to the ground.
One boy even shattered the window glass with a shrill crash and fell onto the hallway outside.
The noise faded.
Dragging Sun Ming, Shen Ye avoided the phone camera on the windowsill and walked to the podium.
Before Sun Ming could say anything, Shen Ye slapped him hard.
Sun Ming’s face was covered in blood, but Shen Ye grabbed his hair and yanked him back.
“Even though I missed an exam, you still came to beat me up. Was it because you were sure you’d win? Or did you think bullying me would make you look impressive?”
Shen Ye raised his hand and slapped him four or five more times.
“You deserve to die—”
Sun Ming shouted defiantly.
Shen Ye slapped him again, then slammed his head against the blackboard with a resounding thud.
Sun Ming crumpled to the floor.
Turning around, Shen Ye kicked another boy who had just gotten up, sending him crashing into several desks before hitting the wall.
This time, the boy didn’t get up.
Walking back to Sun Ming, Shen Ye looked down at him.
Sun Ming sneered:
“Kill me if you dare. If you don’t finish me off today, I’ll come back for you sooner or later.”
Shen Ye shook his head, unimpressed.
Children, driven by a moment of rage, often thought they were invincible.
“Sun Ming,” Shen Ye said, “I’ve always been curious. Which prestigious high school were you planning to attend?”
As he spoke, his gaze shifted to Sun Ming’s legs.
Sun Ming froze.
Following Shen Ye’s gaze, he looked at his own legs.
At that moment, he realized something.
—The next exam was coming soon.
His entire future depended on the high school entrance exam.
Fights like this were meaningless in middle school life, not worth sacrificing his future over.
Enduring humiliation was acceptable, if it meant preserving his future.
“Shen Ye, we were wrong today. Forgive us this once.”
Sun Ming, his face covered in blood, raised his neck stubbornly and said.
Shen Ye stared at him coldly, then turned to shut off the phone camera on the windowsill. Next, he picked up a mop from behind the door.
“You want my forgiveness?”
Carrying the mop, he walked back lazily, continuing in a leisurely tone:
“If it were anyone else, or even the old me, I’d already be lying on the ground, beaten to a pulp by you lot.”
He stopped in front of Sun Ming.
“With the high school entrance exams coming, you decided to gather a group and try to ruin someone’s life over petty rivalry.”
“You humiliated them, beat them, and destroyed their future.”
The mop was raised high.
“And now, you still expect my forgiveness?”
The mop came crashing down.
Sun Ming screamed, but the beating didn’t stop.
Not until his leg was broken.
“What are you doing!”
A furious shout came from outside.
During the high school entrance exam period, a few teachers, alarmed by the noise, didn’t bother taking the stairs. They leaped across the school building and landed on the fourth floor.
They pushed open the door to Class 3 (5) and were greeted with chaos.
Desks and chairs lay shattered.
Several students were sprawled on the ground, their limbs bent at unnatural angles, groaning in pain.
Shen Ye stood in the center, tossing aside the broken mop and using a workbook to wipe the blood from his hands.
“What’s going on here? What happened?”
Jiang Hantao demanded loudly.
Throwing the workbook on the floor, Shen Ye, with reddened eyes, said:
“Teacher, they were bullying me.”
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