Chapter 126: Teenagers, Bullying, and Studying to Madness (2) + (3)

Chapter 126: Teenagers, Bullying, and Studying to Madness (2) + (3)

When he opened his eyes, he couldn’t help but choke and cough several times.

Only a few roads in Qi County were paved with asphalt; most sections were still old dirt roads. Whenever a truck passed by, the thick tires would kick up dust everywhere.

This small county bordered the underdeveloped Qin City, which had a cinema, an amusement park, and an arcade, but that was about it. Even the train station was dilapidated and small. Anyone with ambition had long since moved on to better places, feeling no nostalgia for this so-called hometown.

Tang Zhi was in his third year of junior high school, and based on his grades, he was highly likely to be directly admitted to the high school division of Qin City No. 1 High School.

However, locals of Qin City would borrow money to send their children to boarding schools in the provincial capital because the local thugs were utterly rampant. There had been fatal gang fights before, and rumors said that poor female students in their teens had been forced to have abortions, eventually dropping out of school and marrying early.

People in Qin City envied those in the provincial capital, while folks in Qi County envied those in Qin City.

In this small county, and even in rural villages, there wasn’t much awareness about education. Many parents would marry off their daughters early and send their sons to work in the south.

Although it was modern times, Keding still had to readapt to the hunger in this body.

Tang Zhi was pale and delicate, unnaturally light due to malnutrition, and not very tall. This made him an easy target for the bullies in school.

Tang Zhi always brought pickles and would hurriedly finish a bowl of plain rice at school.

His parents always had unsold vegetables, which they would trim and turn into pickles or sauerkraut. That was how they managed meals at home.

The set meal at Qin City No. 1 High School was either stir-fried bean sprouts with cabbage or spicy minced pork, but even that was too expensive for him.

It wasn’t until he met Hu Yingxing that he got to enjoy sausages from the school store or honey-glazed chicken legs, and occasionally even go out for a meal of ribs or beef.

When Keding arrived in this world, the teenager was hunched over his homework at a small table behind a vegetable stall, the dim lighting making it hard to focus.

Keding quickly scanned the homework and decided to copy Hu Yingxing’s work the next morning. The priority was to understand the situation in this world.

"Who are the people bullying him?"

The system retrieved relevant files from the school system and found additional information from the municipal backend.

"The top three bullies identified by the victim include two junior high students and a high school student who was expelled."

"But behind them is a gang called the Nine Seas Gang (which sounds like something out of a Hong Kong movie). Basically, it’s a group of idle individuals leading a pack of scum in junior and senior high schools."

The relevant information, along with photos, was projected onto Keding’s retina. After a brief look, he asked, "These people are causing trouble everywhere; doesn’t the higher-up care?"

"On one hand, they do have backing. On the other hand, these adult thugs know how to stay under the radar, leaving the dirty work to the younger ones. The police can’t do much about it."

The system sighed and pulled up numerous criminal records.

"Just look at what Tang Zhi’s parents have had to pay in protection money over the years—enough to live comfortably if they hadn’t had to deal with this."

"This task is ranked fifth because several parties that should have intervened strongly are turning a blind eye. The teachers are even telling the students to keep quiet, which has left several of your colleagues fuming."

"So..." she asked curiously, "Keding, what are you planning to do?"

Keding quickly sorted through the original owner’s memories and, in the teenager’s usual tone, said, "Dad, Mom, I’m going to Brother Lu’s place to do homework."

"Have dinner at his place and then come back!" Tang’s mother hurriedly tidied up the vegetable stall. "We’ll just have steamed buns today. Make sure to thank Aunt and Uncle!"

"Okay."

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and quickly left the dirty and noisy vegetable market, wandering down the street by himself.

This was the night before Tang Zhi would be bullied.

Tomorrow at school, Dong Yuan would come over and start messing with him, and then things would escalate step by step.

"By the way," Keding asked, "Is Doctor Jiang in this world?"

"No," the system checked the anomaly data, "Maybe he's gone to find the three things needed to see you."

Keding lowered his head and softly said, "Oh."

"Thinking about him?"

"Yeah," Keding kicked a small pebble and said, "When I said goodbye to Doctor Jiang, I hoped I could see him in the next world."

"Out of all the worlds, it's like finding a needle in a haystack," the system really wanted to rub his fluffy hair, "The fact that he’s found you multiple times is pretty remarkable."

"He... is looking for me?"

"Did you think all your encounters were just coincidences?" the system laughed, "He could be searching through countless worlds, navigating through data torrents just to see you again."

"Don't say anymore," Keding said softly, "You’re making me want to call him so badly."

The conversation stopped there, and Keding tried to focus his mind back on the task at hand.

The system thoughtfully marked the locations of the plot characters and the address of Tang Zhi's cousin's house on the navigation map.

Keding rummaged through his pockets and only found a 50-cent coin.

He hadn't used cash in a long time and felt a bit nostalgic looking at it.

"Navigate us to a bar."

The system reflexively said yes but then felt a bit puzzled.

"The victim is only fifteen. Are you sure you want to go to a bar and not an internet cafe?"

"Do you think there's a bar in this small town?"

"There's a bar street, but most of it is nightclubs and KTVs, almost like a red-light district."

The system was a bit uneasy and said, "The pro gamer is still awake. If you go, I might not be able to find someone to pull you out of trouble."

The environment in this small city was so polluted... you’d be hard-pressed to find even two crows.

"Probably won't need to."

Without cash, it took him fifteen minutes of walking to reach the smoky bar street.

Though it was still dusk, the place was already lit up in gaudy neon lights, a scene of neon-lit chaos.

Women in retro-style low-cut dresses were hanging around, and quite a few men were smoking in groups of three or more at the entrance, eyeing every passerby with lewd looks.

This wasn't a place Tang Zhi should be coming to.

The system was ready to help him activate a getaway boost or damage resistance at any moment, but then it heard Keding ask, "Hey, sis, can you tell me who’s the richest person here?"

The system quickly activated the corresponding program, allowing asset totals to pop up above everyone's heads in Keding's view.

The smoking girl had 1,800, and the curly-haired beauty had a debt of 62,000. The big brother wearing an ill-fitting suit was in the red by 720,000, and the short man with a flat head had 35,000.

Keding’s head started pounding.

Why are they all so broke? What’s the point of even trying?

"Are you planning to rob someone?" the system asked.

"I'm planning to make some money," Keding said. "Tang Zhi's predicament can't be solved from the perspective of a minor."

Adults have adult ways of handling things.

Tang Zhi’s parents, lacking economic power, had been dragged deeper into the wrong path of extortion. Fear had them trapped, preventing them from taking the child to start anew elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the parents of those hoodlums used money to smooth over most issues, banking on the fact that many families were indeed very poor.

In those days, how many families were well-off?

Keding waited from 5:30 to 7:30, and as night fell, old Audi cars began to pull into the bar street one after another.

Old as they were, they were still a step up from second-hand motorcycles.

But Keding wasn’t impressed.

The richest guy currently had only 80,000 RMB in total assets, which didn’t spark any interest for cooperation.

The system expanded the search, helping to pick and choose, when it suddenly said, "Look to the left front! There's a barbershop, and a lady in her 30s wearing a fur coat, with long, big curly hair."

Keding realized Tang Zhi was a bit nearsighted too. He pressed his pounding heart and ventured deeper into the dangerous area, finally able to clearly see the woman the system pointed out.

At Tang Zhi’s age, he could indeed call her "Auntie."

The woman was young and charming, her smoking posture exuding a carefree sexiness.

Her ring finger was bare, but her pinky finger sported a blue sapphire ring, suggesting she had no plans to marry.

"Sister Lan," the system reported the growing number above her head, "3 million in assets, is that enough to do business with you?"

"She owns two nightclubs on this street, and they are doing very well in terms of business."

Keding took a deep breath and quickly walked toward her.

Lan Yinghua was chatting with her friend about the scandals of the boss next door when she saw a young boy approaching her.

"Sister Lan," the boy’s voice was tender but carried a determination beyond his years.

"What is it?" the woman arched her eyebrow and gave a small smile. "Did someone send you to pass a message to me?"

A kid like him, still looking so much like a student, had the nerve to come here without fear of trouble.

The original owner of this body wasn’t exactly tough; his heart raced, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

Keding struggled to control his body’s reactions and said, "I don’t represent anyone."

"I’m here to make a deal with you."

Lan Yinghua stubbed out her cigarette on a lamppost, about to say she doesn’t deal with kids, when the middle schooler snapped his fingers.

A strange engine sound whizzed through the air, and a silver-blue top-tier sports car sped toward them, drawing everyone’s attention.

It had a sleek exterior that no one, not even in the biggest cities, had ever seen. Even stranger, the driver's seat was empty, and it looked so pristine that it belonged not on a magazine cover, no, but in an American blockbuster.

Lan Yinghua had gone to Shanghai with her father a few times and had seen plenty of luxury cars like Lincolns and Mercedes, but she had never seen anything this exquisite and narrowed her eyes slightly.

"I wanna rent this car," the boy said calmly. "American-made, charged by the hour, you set the price, and we split the profits 70-30."

The woman signaled to her subordinate to light another cigarette, took a shallow puff, and said, "I want 40%. Does this car only listen to you?"

"It only listens to me," the boy said. "So when the time is up, it will come back by itself. No matter how you modify or break in, it won't work."

Lan Yinghua asked, "Who sent you to me?"

"No one."

"Who gave you the car? Or did you steal it?"

"You don't need to ask."

Lan Yinghua remained silent for the duration of a cigarette, her eyes never leaving the car, coldly observing the piano-black finish and every detail of its interior.

Could her backing handle something this nice?

In just a few days, word about this car would spread throughout the city, and many would try to snatch it away.

"Make it drive away, to a place no one can find."

The boy snapped his fingers again, and the driverless sports car smoothly turned around and vanished from the astonished gazes of the crowd.

Many people were exclaiming and buzzing with excitement, and a few young guys were rubbing their hands, wanting to come over and inquire, but they stopped in their tracks at the sight of Lan Yinghua's cold, unyielding gaze.

"Alright," the woman said, slightly tilting her head, and one of her men casually handed her a milk candy, placing it in the boy's hand.

"You can come here from now on, and I'll protect you. Nothing will happen."

"Okay," the boy said, looking up. "Got any food? I'm starving."

Lan Yinghua: "..."

-2-

As the boy devoured his food, Lan Yinghua watched, propping her head up, while the system also silently observed.

Lan Yinghua: "...With your dirty school uniform and that fierce way of gnawing on ribs, you really don't seem like someone who could have such a nice car."

The system: "...You're using our Rolls-Royce like this?"

The boy: "Another bottle of Coke, iced."

He tore through the food like a whirlwind for twenty minutes, finishing off a large portion of braised ribs with potatoes, a fruit platter, and a big plate of egg fried rice.

Koding: "Exchange for some digestive pills."

The system: "Already prepared for you."

When the boy finally let out a long burp, Lan Yinghua pushed the Coke a few inches closer to him.

"Drink slowly."

From time to time, waitstaff came over to quietly ask about trivial matters, which she handled with a wave of her hand.

Keding seemed to be observing her as well. After wiping his mouth, he said, "Do you have an extra phone?"

"Yes."

"Give me one."

Lan Yinghua laughed, "You’ve got some nerve, stealing a car and then asking me for stuff. Not worried I’ll call the cops on you?"

"You’ve figured it out too," Keding said, locking eyes with her. "There’s no way you’d find a car like this in China."

"Some things, don't ask."

Lan Yinghua smiled. "If I take on shady deals like this, I could get into serious trouble."

"What are you scared of?" Keding asked. "Afraid the U.S. Marine Corps will show up, or the FBI will come arrest you?"

Lan Yinghua laughed heartily and said generously, "I’ll rent it for one night—four hours—for 20 grand."

"If there are no issues, we'll do business regularly."

"Have the car wait for me in the backyard of the nightclub."

"Okay."

Keding used a tissue to clean the oil stains on his school uniform and took the unopened new phone from the waiter. He stood up and said, "I'm going back."

Lan Yinghua sat on the side of the sofa playing with the tassel. "Not staying to hang out?"

"I haven't finished my homework."

Another male waiter hurried over, a look of surprise on his face, and quickly said, "Blue Sister, the car is really parked in our yard."

She lifted her sharp chin, and someone handed a bulging brown paper bag to the middle school student.

"Need me to call someone to give you a ride home?"

With that much cash, you’d better watch out for muggers.

Keding was about to refuse but reconsidered, as taxis were hard to find these days, and agreed.

On the way home, Keding watched as the system showed Lan Yinghua and her friends racing the car, and he couldn’t help but feel impressed.

"I didn’t think you’d put the sports car to such good use... Smart way to make some cash."

"At least I won’t be stuck eating pickles for every meal," Keding sighed in relief. "My family’s financial situation wasn’t great before, so I know how important money is..."

Having money is a good thing.

He didn’t need to worry about who Lan Yinghua rented the car to; all business was conducted via text message.

The next morning, as Keding approached the school from 500 meters away, he saw Hu Yingxing waiting for him.

Tang Zhi had been followed several times, and Hu Yingxing had been silently accompanying him.

He had discreetly driven away Dong Yuan's attempts to flirt, but with only one person's protection, it couldn’t last long.

Despite the early morning buzz, a bunch of kids who’d been up all night at internet cafes were slumped against the walls, half-asleep and smoking.

Tang Zhi walked past them without changing his expression and greeted Hu Yingxing.

"Good morning."

Hu Yingxing furrowed his brow but didn't say anything.

Throughout the day, Hu Yingxing was unusually quiet as they spent time together.

It wasn’t until right before school was about to end that he blocked Tang Zhi’s path.

"Want to leave together after school?" Tang Zhi asked.

"Is everything okay with you?"

Hu Yingxing stared at the person in front of him, hesitating before saying, "You're not your usual self."

It’s not easy for an adult to act like a kid.

Whether it’s the way they speak or their sense of security in this world.

Keding knew that Tang Zhi was always cautious and timid, and he couldn't replicate his introversion, fragility, or vulnerability.

He had been through too much in many worlds and possessed a composure and serenity distinctly different from Tang Zhi.

"I'm not Tang Zhi," the teenager said. "I’m just here to help him get through this for a bit before I leave."

Hu Yingxing’s gaze turned wary. "Where did you send Tang Zhi?"

"I'm the angel here to help him, okay? You can call me Brother Ke." The teenager glanced at Dong Yuan, who was approaching quickly behind him, and sighed, "It's coming."

Before Hu Yingxing could press for more, Dong Yuan approached with a smug grin.

"Where are you headed after school, little lady?" Relying on his height, he made a move to put his arm around Tang Zhi.

But Tang Zhi dodged with surprising agility.

Dong Yuan was startled for a moment and whistled, "Playing hard to get?"

He grabbed Tang Zhi's shoulder, still brazen even though they were in the school corridor, and made a move to pinch Tang Zhi's chest.

"Why are you dodging? We’re both dudes, so why are you acting like a little girl?"

Before Hu Yingxing could intervene, Tang Zhi calmly said, "I’ll count to three."

Before Dong Yuan could react, Tang Zhi said, "One."

With a precise move, he twisted Dong Yuan’s arm, and there was a loud crack that everyone heard.

Hu Yingxing stood frozen, still in the act of stepping forward to shield Tang Zhi, as Dong Yuan screamed in agony.

"Ahhhhh!!!"

"My hand! My hand! What did you do to me!!!"

"What could I have done?" The teenager glanced sideways, his smile cold. "You dislocated your wrist by running into the wall—what does that have to do with me?"

Hu Yingxing stared blankly at everything, realizing that this really wasn't Tang Zhi.

Dong Yuan screamed non-stop from the pain, glared at Tang Zhi like he was a plague, and ran off.

"You better watch out! Next time, I’ll bring some friends to teach you a lesson!"

The teenager continued walking forward, with his backpack slung over his shoulder.

"He kept walking. Time to go home."

The system was also a bit confused and muttered, "The defense value wasn't used up, right?"

"I'm a medical student," Keding replied calmly, "Just some basic orthopedic knowledge."

"And you didn't even do the countdown properly."

Keding let out a soft snort. "You don't reason with scum."