C5 I Have to Study Hard(1)

"Damn, someone call an ambulance, quick!"

The onlookers just shook their heads in disbelief.

One person taking on a group, and just a high school kid at that.

Qiang watched his lackeys charge in, smug with anticipation.

"Zhou Wen, don't overestimate yourself!" Hui Yuming called out feebly from the ground.

As the gang approached, Zhou Wen felt a twinge of doubt. He'd been in his fair share of fights, but never against four or five at once.

Still, he wasn't about to back down.

The first thug swung at him, and Zhou Wen instinctively raised his arm to block, then counterattacked with a swing.

To his surprise, the thug stumbled backward.

What?

Zhou Wen was puzzled. Why was he suddenly so much stronger?

Then the rest of the thugs joined in.

Zhou Wen's kick landed squarely on one's stomach.

With a thud, the thug doubled over and collapsed, unable to rise.

Zhou Wen was stunned.

So was everyone else. They hadn't expected this high schooler to be so formidable.

Hui Yuming and Yang Ke, sprawled on the ground, were slack-jawed. Since when could Zhou Wen fight like this?

But Zhou Wen couldn't afford to ponder the reasons; he realized he could take them down!

His confidence surging, Zhou Wen tightened his fist and struck a lunging thug square in the face.

The thug's nose burst with blood instantly!

Zhou Wen had no idea of his own strength; he just kept throwing punches and kicks. Despite a few scrapes, he was mostly unharmed.

Soon, the thugs were all lying on the ground, faces swollen and bloody.

Now only Qiang remained, cornered and utterly baffled, still not grasping what had happened.

What in the world was this?

Zhou Wen glared at Qiang, the instigator of this mess, and slowly approached. With all his might, he slapped Qiang across the face.

"This slap is on behalf of my brother. Think twice before you bully someone again!"

Smack!

Qiang spat out several white objects and collapsed to the ground. He didn't even consider fighting back, knowing full well it would only make things worse for him.

The room fell deathly silent!

The sound of the slap seemed to still resonate throughout the internet cafe.

Everyone instinctively touched their own faces, shaken by the force of the blow.

A slap that could knock out teeth—how much strength did that take?

Zhou Wen himself was surprised by his own power.

Qiang lay on the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, an outcome no one had anticipated.

Zhou Wen stood over him, pressing his foot down, and asked icily, "Still want that money?"

"No more, no more," Qiang managed to say, his voice wheezing.

"If I catch you bullying anyone again, expect a beating every time I see you," Zhou Wen threatened menacingly.

"Let's get out of here!"

Zhou Wen shot Qiang a few more glares, then helped Yang Ke to his feet and signaled to Hui Yuming. They made their way out, unhurried but not lingering, wary of other troublemakers possibly showing up and still somewhat bewildered by the turn of events.

The crowd parted to let them through.

"Wait a moment!" called out the network administrator.

"What is it?" Zhou Wen turned, his eyes icy.

The network administrator hesitated, his face a mix of reluctance and fear, but after glancing at the people strewn across the floor, he forced a sycophantic smile and said, "Have a good evening!"

As Zhou Wen walked away, a malevolent look crossed Qiang's face.

He had committed Zhou Wen's face to memory; this was far from over.

In the still of the night, only a few cars passed by the deserted internet cafe. Under the dim glow of the streetlights, few pedestrians were out. Zhou Wen, Hui Yuming, and Yang Ke continued on their way at a leisurely pace.

"Zhou Wen, how did you get so strong?" Hui Yuming asked in amazement, having been eager to ask for a while.

Supporting Yang Ke, Zhou Wen replied with a grin, "I was practicing at home a few days ago and somehow managed to open up my governor and conception vessels. I just felt myself getting stronger."

"You're kidding, right? People who get stronger end up losing their hair, but you haven't shed a strand." Hui Yuming playfully tugged at Zhou Wen's hair, but not a single hair came loose.

"Alright, you better head home. I'll stick with Yang Ke and see him back," Zhou Wen said with a light chuckle.

"Okay, I feel better knowing you're with him. I'm off," Hui Yuming said as he waved goodbye and walked away, though his mind was still swirling with uncertainties.

Zhou Wen continued down the street, his stride growing more confident.

Yang Ke, who had been quiet until now, straightened up and suddenly blurted out, "Zhou Wen, why does my family have to suffer so much?" Tears appeared to glisten in his eyes.

"The layoffs at Anewood Chemical Factory came just as they let my mom go. My dad has slaved away there for years, only to be a lowly foreman. My mom was in a car accident on her way home from the market just a few days ago, and she's still in the hospital. The driver fled, and there were no cameras; the police still haven't caught anyone! Today, I had to kneel before our relatives to borrow some money so I could look for a better hospital for her. And what happens? I step away to use the bathroom, and those thugs try to rob me!" Yang Ke's voice broke as he wrenched himself from Zhou Wen's grasp and crouched down on the ground, sobbing.

"If only my family were like Hui Yuming's. He never has to worry about money, doesn't need to study hard. After all, he'll just go abroad, get his credentials, and then come back to run his dad's company. I don't want to study anymore. I'll just work and make things easier for my parents," Yang Ke cried out.

Zhou Wen's heart ached for his friend. He had known Yang Ke since childhood and was well aware of his fierce pride. Yang Ke would rather suffer in silence than share his burdens with others.

If it hadn't been for the altercation with the thugs, Zhou Wen might never have learned about Yang Ke's mother's accident or the desperate measures he had taken to borrow money from relatives.

But no matter what, Zhou Wen couldn't stand by and let Yang Ke quit school to work. Even if he wasn't the best student himself, he couldn't bear to see his friend give up on his education.

"Yang Ke, your parents work hard to pay for your education. If you drop out now, it would break their hearts," Zhou Wen said as he squatted down and wrapped an arm around Yang Ke's shoulders, offering comfort.

With a heavy sigh, Yang Ke wiped away his tears and slowly rose to his feet.

"Let's drop the subject and get going," Yang Ke said with a sense of resignation, pulling Zhou Wen toward the neighborhood.

Yet, the more Yang Ke tried to brush it off, the worse Zhou Wen felt, at a loss for how to offer comfort.

They walked in silence.

Zhou Wen's apartment complex was originally housing for the Anewood Chemical Factory employees, with a history spanning several decades, its facade showing signs of age.

Both Zhou Wen's and Yang Ke's parents worked at the Anewood Chemical Factory. Though they didn't earn much, they had at least been allocated housing by their employer. Otherwise, considering the current housing market, who knows how long it would take to afford a place.

After saying goodbye to Yang Ke, Zhou Wen felt a heaviness in his chest. Maybe it was Yang Ke's words that prompted him to reflect on his own life.

Zhou Wen unlocked the rusty, old security door and then the wooden door behind it, stepping carefully into his home.