C8 The Storm of Kneeling

"Isn't it time you honored your agreement?" Zhang Heng challenged.

The surrounding crowd was abuzz with conversation, clearly taken aback that Zhang Heng had actually defeated Guo Yuan. They were even more shocked that someone who had once reigned supreme at the academy was now facing the humiliation of kneeling before a freshman.

Even Guo Yuan's staunch supporters found the scene difficult to stomach.

A burly man rose to his feet. "Brother, we're the ones who asked for this, and we won't dare repeat it. Please, let us off the hook this time. If there's ever a need for your help in the future, we'll be there for you, no questions asked," he said earnestly, his cheeks quivering with the force of his plea. He was an imposing figure, clearly not one to be easily provoked.

But Zhang Heng was unfazed. "Why would I need your help? A gentleman's word is his bond," he retorted with a hint of mockery.

Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, he continued, "Oh, that's right. I've come to see that you're far from gentlemen. You're nothing but scoundrels, hiding your true selves. Does that make your little brawls more enjoyable?"

The truth was plain to see. Guo Yuan had lured Zhang Heng to the classroom under the pretense of a fair fight, claiming their leader wanted to see him. But as it turned out, Guo Yuan was the leader all along.

An agitated voice from the crowd piped up, "What's this about scoundrels? We've always taken responsibility for our actions and never deceived anyone."

Hearing this, Zhang Heng turned to face the speaker. "Is that so? Then why don't you tell me who your boss really is?"

The man faltered, his face clouding with difficulty.

The man with the fierce demeanor stepped forward again. "Look, little brother, we never intended to deceive you about our identities. If we had, you wouldn't have figured us out so easily. And let's be honest, everyone at this school knows Guo Yuan. There was no point in hiding anything from you; it was all just a pretext."

Indeed, the pretext had been nothing more than a ruse to draw Zhang Heng out. Little did they know that this very ruse would lead to their current predicament.

"Since a promise is as good as gold, are you going to keep yours or not?" Zhang Heng pressed.

He hadn't actually demanded that Guo Yuan kneel before him; he just thought it would be amusing to rile him up a bit. Now that he was interested, he decided to push the issue.

Those around him were adamant that their boss should not have to kneel. The boss's dignity was a reflection of their collective pride, and forcing him to kneel would be an unacceptable insult. The repercussions for their group's reputation could be severe.

In the midst of this high-stakes standoff, the previously enraged individual suddenly dropped to his knees.

"Brother, we made an unintentional mistake. You're asking our boss to kneel, and I just can't agree to that. I'll kneel here until you're satisfied, and only then will I stand," he declared.

Zhang Heng hadn't expected such a display of loyalty from his comrade, and it touched him. But what followed surprised him even more.

Seeing the formidable man kneel, the rest of the underlings quickly emulated him.

"Brother Zhang Heng, we acknowledge our mistake in stopping you today. Our boss means a great deal to us, and the fallout from this incident could harm our group. Since Brother Wang is willing to kneel until you're satisfied, we too will kneel until you're satisfied."

"Brother, we admit we were wrong. Today, we, your brothers, kneel before you."

Guo Yuan was deeply moved by the gesture.

"Do I need you to kneel? I'm the one who made the promise; it should be me kneeling. There's no need for you to do this. Please, stand up," he urged.

But those who had knelt were not easily swayed to rise.

"I've heard it said that a man's knees hold his weight in gold, but our gold is no longer of any consequence. You can't kneel."

Hearing this only fueled his frustration.

"What do you mean I can't kneel? If this is the situation, then I must kneel all the more," he insisted.

Guo Yuan then faced Zhang Heng and resolved, "Fine, since I made the promise, I'll take responsibility. I said I'd kneel, so I will kneel. But from this day forward, we go our separate ways. And you must forgive my brothers."

Zhang Heng remained silent upon witnessing the scene unfold before him.

In contrast, the kneeling brothers were beside themselves with excitement, pleading, "You can't kneel before us. If you do, we'll never be able to follow you again."

"Yeah, big brother!"

At the moment Zhang Heng was considering letting them off the hook, a piercing voice cut through the air.

It was clearly a girl's voice, and she seemed to have gotten the wrong end of the stick.

Her voice, which Zhang Heng found vaguely familiar, rang out before he could see her face. "What? Not even a full day has passed, and there's already a fight, picking on the senior students?"

Zhang Heng was at a loss for words. This was not what he had anticipated. Weren't these seniors the ones who had been bullying him? Yet now, it seemed as though the tables had turned, and he was being accused of bullying them.

"Hold on, young lady, let's get the facts straight. Why don't you come out here? I'm not the one bullying these seniors; they came after me!" Zhang Heng protested, his face etched with frustration.

He had been ready to release these individuals, but then Chung Yaojin had to come out of nowhere, accusing him of picking on the seniors.

It was like being unable to voice his own defense, a frustration he hadn't expected. Now, he was genuinely curious about the identity of this 'righteous heroine' who had appeared.

"You see these seniors kneeling before you, and you still claim they're the ones bullying you?" The figure suddenly appeared as if from nowhere, clad in a pink outfit.