tive and indispensable. They will become the gateway to the digital world, which connects the globe.""Su, I'm sorry about your departure; actually, you could have stayed if you wanted us to work toget...Chapter 42: If You Jump, I Will Too
Zhao Chengyan, Qian Long, and Liang Xiao gathered together after their second day of classes. Around these three were a group of boys who had close relationships with them, talking about the embarrassing incident from yesterday.
"I felt that this kid was quite arrogant back then; no wonder he had backup," said Liang Xiao, feeling rather depressed as they had failed to see any of the drama they initially planned for yesterday.
Qian Long massaged his still sore nose and felt even more dissatisfied with having only beaten Zhu Zhiyu once. It turned out that Su Cun was actually the mastermind behind everything, manipulating these people in an extremely underhanded way.
Zhao Chengyan gritted his teeth, "Today, today we must make him pay!"
He then told everyone about Chang Guangrui and others going back to recruit reinforcements. Everyone felt excited; although they were just high school students and from a province-level key school, it didn't mean that this group of people was protected by the school or societal mechanisms like others were. They came from influential families, so if they wanted to, there was no limit to whom they could contact.
Especially Zhao Chengyan; as Liu Cheng's adopted son, during Liu Cheng's peak, his enrollment party had featured big shots from Rongcheng who sealed red envelopes. This alone hinted at the scale and grandeur of things. Li Jianyang had even shared a table with Zhao Chengyan to drink together. Therefore, it wasn't surprising that Zhao Chengyan knew people like Chang Guangrui.
Ordinary students shunned him out of fear; hence no one dared to mess with Zhao Chengyan in school, especially before Liu Cheng's downfall. Zhao Chengyan and Zhao Lu were the most influential figures at their school back then, even Wang Weiwei would give way for them.
As Zhao Chengyan and others talked excitedly on this corridor side, they all burst into laughter together, making passing students take a wide berth as if afraid of being caught in whatever discussion was going on. The sound of their laughter was rather piercing and annoying to the ears.
Beyond the walls of No. 27 High School, one of the best schools in the province where excellent students thrive, another school known for violence and fighting—Jianyang Sports School—was located.
Chang Guangrui and others exaggeratedly recounted how arrogant Su Cun and other outsiders had been yesterday to Li Jianyang. "There were over ten men in black suits! They really thought they were gangsters, didn't they As for the higher-ups, it's not like these guys could speak there either, right It’s said that they'll be back today too; apparently, they're saying our school isn’t as formidable anymore and that I don’t have anything to say about this."
Li Jianyang was in his forties, tall with a sturdy build, broad shoulders and thick waist. He wore a sweater, and his round belly was held up by a belt; but those who knew him well understood the power contained within his physique. Li Jianyang stood there, hands behind his back, listening to what these students were saying. His eyes narrowed slightly as if he were dozing off, "What are you talking about"
Chang Guangrui said, "They say Li Jiayang is old and no longer capable."
Li Jiayang kicked Chang Guangrui's butt right there, sending him sprawling. He laughed and scolded, "Is this something you just made up You want me to take action but don’t give a good reason! Look at all of your lackadaisical attitudes; get out!"
The group felt disappointed. They had initially been confident because Li Jiayang had brought them along for battles in the north and south more than once, yet now it seemed they couldn't proceed as planned.
However, Li Jiayang said, "Come back! Tomorrow I’m having dinner with the district police station chief. Let’s go take a look at who these ungrateful young brats are."
Since Liu Cheng's incident, Li Jiayang had been cautious and rarely got involved in physical altercations. Now, his urge to act was back. Hearing what his student said, he immediately decided to intervene.
Chang Guangrui and the others exchanged glances, each seeing unbridled joy in the other's eyes.
In a teahouse, Chang Guangrui was sipping tea while looking at a sumptuous banquet. Around him were several people, including the district police station chief, some policemen, and a real estate company CEO who was pouring him drinks. Previously, there had been a demolition project where local farmers, with aggressive temperaments, gathered to smash the construction vehicles, causing injuries that sent several men to the hospital when Li Jiayang intervened.
Afterward, the demolition proceeded smoothly, and the real estate company CEO personally invited Chang Guangrui as a gesture of gratitude. District Chief Yang Yi raised his glass and said, "These刁民are like this; if you don't discipline them, they'll become arrogant! People's greed is insatiable; for those who are overstepping their bounds, lessons must be taught. But Jiayang, next time please control your force to a level that just serves as a deterrent; don’t burden us in law enforcement."
Li Jiayang laughed and said, "Alright! I have to deal with another group today who’ve been bullying my students and disciples. It’s about time, so I’ll go over there!"
The CEO Wang exclaimed excitedly, "Oh, people say Teacher Li is a martial arts expert; I haven't seen his true strength yet. I want to see it too."
District Chief Yang Yi nodded and said, "Alright then, let's get going. Do you need me to drive you over" His tone was relaxed but carried an air of satisfaction.
Wang’s eyes widened in surprise. "In a police car!" This really is impressive! He had heard rumors about Li Jiayang’s prowess in the area before, but he didn’t believe them until now; this man truly has power when even the police chief treats him as an equal. With such connections, what couldn't he achieve
The sunlight seemed hazy, with beams of light piercing through the paulownia trees lining the streets. As dusk approached, the sun's rays were no longer harsh; instead, a cool breeze began to blow, signaling the end of the day’s heat.
In this old street, sparse paulownia trees cast shadows over the small food stalls and tea shops outside the school. It was now quiet before放學時間,隻剩下空蕩蕩的椅子。偶爾有店主在風扇旁起身,把被午後陽光曬熱的飲料移到櫃檯後麵,再出來坐在藤椅上對著風扇半睡。
The faint sound of the school bell rang out, instantly bringing vitality to the entire street.
A girl from a milk tea shop stretched lazily at the door before preparing herself for an incoming rush.
Gradually, students started pouring out of the school gate. Almost on cue, a group of physical education school students led by Changguangrui emerged around the street corner.
Zhao Chengyan and his companions also exited the school gate, joining them beside the group and whispering to each other. They vaguely mentioned, "Our principal will be here in person."
Zhao Chengyan and his friends smiled confidently. With Li Jianyang personally arriving—such a legendary figure—it was bound to cause a ruckus. While Su Zhan seemed to have some backup, those people were mere troublemakers from society, possibly even hired college students pretending to be such. Once Li Jianyang arrived, the situation would undoubtedly crush everything in its path, leaving no one to escape. At this thought, he couldn’t wait to see how badly Su Zhan would get hurt.
Shops around began filling up again, with many onlookers eager to see what would happen next after yesterday's cliffhanger.
In the tranquil campus, Su Zhan spotted Tang Wu waiting for him at the bottom of the teaching building.
"Please don't go," said Tang Wu, her gaze piercing and intense. This look softened something in Su Zhan’s heart.
She knew what was happening. In fact, Sun Man had warned her earlier today not to interact with Su Zhan because the whole school was spreading rumors that this new transfer student was acquainted with校外的混混。也是,趙強那幫都大四畢業了,穿西服一臉成熟的樣子和一群體校學生對峙,說出去誰都不好看。
Now, all the girls like Sun Man were watching from the periphery, worried about what might happen to Tang Wu. Everyone knew that this girl was cold on the outside but warm-hearted inside. It couldn’t be denied that many people felt aggrieved, regardless of gender, at how generously and favorably Su Zhan had been treated by Tang Wu, a transfer student.
No one had suspected a deeper relationship between Tang Wu and Su Cen. Firstly, Tang Wu was aloof and belonged to the top tier of the school, being prioritized for exchange programs with international schools like Euro-America Joint Program; she was very rational. Secondly, they never thought that the transfer student would have any chance in Tang Wu's eyes.Tang Wu felt anxious inside, knowing that if Su Cen were to clash with them, the school wouldn't let it go easily. An out-of-school gang fight involving outside help from both sides could mean that even Zhao Chengyan’s powerful connections couldn’t keep him enrolled at No. 27 High School.And just as this was true for Zhao Chengyan, wasn't it also the case for Su Cen If he were expelled from No. 27 High School, their lives would truly diverge and go in separate directions."Think about how hard you worked to get here. Would you be willing to leave" Tang Wu asked fearfully, her tone urgent. It had been so difficult for them to walk the same path; she didn't want anything else to cause a rift between them.She was afraid that under the grapevine arbor’s shade, she would never again see that face etched in her memory.Afraid that on the way to P.E. class, among the bustling crowds of students during breaks and lunchtimes under the school's shady trees, someone she looked forward to meeting would disappear from her life."I wouldn't want to leave," Su Cen smiled, his words causing Tang Wu’s heart to tremble slightly."But I don’t want to continue living in a cowardly way. Trust me; I’ve lived that way long enough and now I don’t wish to avoid the issue any longer."Tang Wu's nose stung, her eyes reddened—Su Cen’s smile was painful yet無奈,讓人無從責備。"This isn't about being a coward. A temporary retreat doesn’t mean failure; you haven’t been avoiding anything. Coming to No. 27 High School has already allowed you to do something many others can’t.""Don't worry, I'm just meeting an old friend, nothing serious will happen," Su Cen said, but his words were clearly unconvincing."If you go, then I'll go with you too." Tang Wu stared at Su Cen, wanting to remember this moment of his courage that moved her, and for the first time in her life, she was willing to act without reason or consequence.ve deeply into the lives of those they are curious about.Many freshmen came to a common conclusion: Su Cen merely graduated from an important high school in Rongcheng with an ordinary family backgroun...