Chapter Thirty-Five: A Matter of Character

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This was probably the first time in over two years of sitting together that Wei Dong was so excited and animated. Qin Anyi couldn’t help but think about it as the bell signaling the end of the school day rang. At that moment, Wei Dong, like a monkey injected with adrenaline, sprang up from his seat, darting over to Yang Cheng and Pan Weiwei's desks with such agile speed that Qin Anyi almost forgot about Wei Dong’s nearly one hundred and sixty pounds of bulk.

Pan Weiwei and Yang Cheng shared a desk, but with Wei Dong standing beside Pan Weiwei, things became rather awkward.

The four of them walked and chatted as they left, but as soon as they stepped out the school gate, they were blocked by a group of rowdy-looking youths.

Qin Anyi recognized Fang Hao leading the group, and for a moment, he felt helpless. How could it be that, after only two days since the school year began, every afternoon they were blocked at the school gate? In the past two years, Qin Anyi had never encountered such trouble; what kind of luck was this...

He glanced over the group and, to his surprise, found among the seven or eight besides Fang Hao’s three, two familiar faces. Among the dozen or so people he had dealt with yesterday afternoon, four or five had suffered only minor injuries, mostly requiring just a night's rest to recover. And among these seven or eight, two were those he had defeated yesterday.

“Fang Hao? Was yesterday’s lesson not deep enough for you? You’re already looking to reclaim your pride?” Qin Anyi sighed, his eyes resting on the two who had suffered at his hands yesterday. “I’m someone who dislikes trouble. So, to prevent this kind of hassle from repeating, I may not hold back this time. You should brace yourselves.”

The four or five who had never met Qin Anyi were stunned, an odd feeling rising in their hearts. Was this person oblivious to the situation? Did he not understand what they were here to do? He was telling them to prepare themselves? Who, in fact, needed to be prepared...

“Qin Anyi! Yesterday was just an accident! The place was too cramped, and I didn’t take you seriously! You got lucky! But tonight won’t go so well for you! Brother Fei! This is the guy! Give him a proper welcome, and tonight I’ll take everyone to ‘Felix’!” Fang Hao spoke, though his heart was bleeding. He had only intended to recruit two or three outsiders to deal with Qin Anyi—more than enough, as these street toughs were worlds apart from ordinary students when it came to fighting. Even the most average street thug would have no fear facing six or seven students; on the contrary, the students might falter out of instinctive fear.

But unexpectedly, after reaching out to Fei, who he was on decent terms with, Fei showed up with six or seven men, supposedly to back him up. Fang Hao knew perfectly well that so many weren’t needed just to discipline one student. Fei was clearly trying to take advantage of him, making him pay for a night out with his crew.

“Fang Hao! The person you want to deal with is him?!” The buzz-cut youth called Fei stepped forward and grabbed Fang Hao, looking at Qin Anyi with panic. He was one of those who had suffered the least at Qin Anyi’s hands yesterday. In almost an instant, Qin Anyi had laid them all out, the time so brief he couldn’t even strike each with equal force. This one had been the last to fall, and the strength of the blow had already waned.

Even so, Qin Anyi left a deep psychological scar. It exceeded what Fei could comprehend, and though his injuries weren’t serious, he never wished to cross paths with someone as formidable as Qin Anyi again.

He thought tonight would be like any other—disciplining some students who had clashed with Fang Hao—but fate had it that the opponent was the same monster from yesterday. Was this a death sentence?

“Yes, Brother Fei! That guy is too arrogant. He’s made me lose face in school. You must help me out—beat him so badly his own mother wouldn’t recognize him!” Fang Hao, oblivious to Fei’s strange expression, stared at Qin Anyi and spoke with hate.

“You idiot, it’s you who’ll get beaten until your mother doesn’t recognize you!” Fei, suddenly furious, raised his hand and slapped Fang Hao on the back of the head.

Aside from another buzz-cut youth who recognized Qin Anyi, the two athletes with Fang Hao and the rest of the street thugs all froze, utterly lost as to what was happening before them...