Chapter 17: The Challenge

Saturday morning.

Arriving at school, I found a large crowd gathered in front of the teaching building, both boys and girls. I also spotted the strong senior I had beaten up last time, along with a few others.

“It’s that kid,” the strong senior said, pointing at me.

“Hey, kid, stop right there!”

“You! Don’t you dare leave!”

They surrounded me in front of the art building in an instant.

“Kid, do you know who we are?”

“So you’re the one who harassed our minister!”

“Daring to bully the school beauty of our Education Department? You’re asking for death!”

“Senior Ye Ying belongs to everyone, not just you!”

Before I could even respond, they started chattering away. I just watched them coldly, as if watching a monkey show.

“Everyone, quiet down,” said a senior who was equally strong and handsome, standing next to the strong one. He waved his hand.

“Do you know who I am?” He turned to me, looking very refined, but I could feel the contempt in his heart.

“No,” I replied, staring at him with my dead fish eyes, my voice cold.

“Heh, you don’t even know me? I’m Luo Dongba, vice president of the Student Council, just like Xiao Ying, and vice minister of the Karate Club.” He introduced himself with a tone full of pride.

“Oh.” I said indifferently, “Can I go now?”

“Hey! What kind of tone are you using with Senior Luo!” A girl beside Luo Dongba shrieked.

I glared at her with a murderous look.

“Ah!” She was startled and hid behind him.

“Hey, you little punk, what are you doing!”

“Stay away from Senior Ye Ying!”

“Get lost…” I said. My mood had been terrible these past few days, and I had no patience for this kind of nonsense.

Although my voice wasn’t loud, I was sure everyone present could hear me.

“You’re asking for it!” Some of the more hot-tempered boys were already ready to charge.

“Calm down!” Luo Tianba soothed the crowd, then turned to me with a smile. “Heh, junior, you’re a bit arrogant. How about we make a bet?”

“Oh? What kind of bet?” That wasn’t me speaking.

“Ah, Senior Ye Ying!”

“Minister!”

“Senior!”

“Xiao Ying, what are you doing here?” Luo Dongba forced a laugh.

“I don’t know what you’re all planning here, but let me make it clear: Xiaobai never bullied or harassed me. He and I are good friends.” Somehow, this elusive woman had appeared behind me and was explaining on my behalf.

“Senior…”

“Minister…”

“I see.” Luo Dongba flashed a sunny smile, completely ignoring me.

“So what’s this about a bet?” Ye Ying asked.

“Nothing, nothing. Just joking around.”

“Good. Xiaobai, you can go now.” Ye Ying turned to me.

“…” I didn’t speak. Suddenly, I didn’t want things to end like this. I had been running away all this time, and now people were coming after me again. I didn’t want to run anymore.

“Senior Ye Ying, you haven’t forgotten our date tonight, have you?” I whispered in her ear. Although I spoke softly, I was sure everyone present could hear me.

“What!”

“Kid, are you out of your mind!”

“You! Don’t talk nonsense!”

“Huh!?” Even Ye Ying herself was shocked.

“Th-this… is it true?” Luo Dongba’s sunny smile shattered instantly. His eyes went wide as he asked Ye Ying in a trembling voice. It seemed to hit him hard.

“Well… it’s not exactly a date. I have some business to discuss with him…” Ye Ying was flustered.

“Li Xiaobai! Do you dare to bet with me!” Luo Dongba roared at me, completely losing his image as a handsome senior.

“Bet on what?”

“If I win, you stay away from Xiao Ying and never let me see you again!”

“And if I win?”

“Then I’ll leave her and resign from the Karate Club!”

“Heh, what’s that got to do with me? What do I care if you big guy quit? Just give me money and stop bothering me.”

“You vulgar bastard! If you win, I’ll give you five thousand!”

“Deal. How do we compete?”

“I heard you’re pretty good at fighting! At 1 PM, come to the Karate Club grounds and fight me!”

“Fine.” With that, I pushed through the crowd and walked toward the teaching building.

Even I’m scared of myself when I show off.

Back in the classroom, there weren’t many people, but they were all staring at me. They must have seen what happened at the entrance.

I found a seat near the back and sat down.

“Xiaobai! I heard you’re going to fight Luo Dongba, the vice minister of the Karate Club!” Before my seat was even warm, Lin Xiaopang burst in shouting.

“News travels fast,” I muttered to myself.

“Hey! Xiaobai, say something!” Lin Xiaopang ran up to my desk. Then I saw Zhao Jianwen and Qin Hui come in and walk over.

Zhao Jianwen… Zhao Jiansheng…

“Jianwen, do you know someone named Zhao Jiansheng?” Instead of dealing with Lin Xiaopang, I asked Zhao Jianwen.

“Zhao Jiansheng? Never heard of him.”

“…Good.” I said softly.

“Hey, don’t ignore me! Xiaobai, explain what’s going on!” The fat guy urged.

“It’s pretty much what you think.” I couldn’t be bothered to explain. This fatty probably knew more than I did.

“Do you know who Luo Dongba is?”

“Vice minister of the Karate Club…”

“He’s the crown prince of Luodong Technology Co., Ltd., vice president of the Student Council, one of our school’s heartthrobs, and vice minister of the Karate Club.

The ‘vice’ part isn’t because he can’t beat Senior Ye Ying; it’s because he admires her and gave up the top spot.

He’s also the champion of the Dongchuanguang University Karate Tournament. Super popular, one of the most elite rich guys in our school!” The fat guy said all that in one breath without stopping.

“Oh.”

“‘Oh’ my ass! Didn’t you hear me? You’re going to fight him alone, and he has every advantage: the time, the place, the people. You’re doomed!” Lin Xiaopang grabbed my shoulders, shaking me as he spoke.

“Yeah, Xiaobai, think it over. I’m in the Student Council; I can help talk to him.” Zhao Jianwen also tried to persuade me.

“I’ll bet on you winning.” The long-haired guy Qin Hui suddenly said something nonsensical.

“Stop! Can’t you two support me like Qin Hui does?” I shook off Lin Xiaopang’s hands.

“Qin Hui lives in his own world, just like you. He has no idea what’s going on outside,” Lin Xiaopang said helplessly.

“Alright, class is starting. Let’s drop it.” I saw the teacher coming and said to them.

“But no matter what, we’re on your side.”

“Mm, thanks.” The old professor’s Chinese class. I continued my routine of sleeping through class.

I don’t know how many classes I slept through when someone suddenly tapped on my desk.

“Xiaobai, class is over.” It was Lin Xiaopang’s voice.

“Xiaobai, let’s go eat first, then we’ll go with you to the Karate Club,” Zhao Jianwen said.

“Oh, uh, let’s go.” I got up and followed Lin Xiaopang, Zhao Jianwen, and Qin Hui to the cafeteria.

“Auntie, one large Yangzhou fried rice!” Lin Xiaopang called out.

“Barbecue pork noodles…” Qin Hui said.

“Give me a roast duck rice,” Zhao Jianwen said.

“Give me four chicken cutlets…”

“What’s that? You’re such a weirdo,” Lin Xiaopang said, holding his tray and teasing me.

“None of your business. It’s past twelve. Eat up quick; I’ve got a date to keep,” I shot back with a grin.

Soon, we finished eating. I took out my phone and saw it was 12:30. Time to go.

“Xiaobai, are you really going?”

“No shit. If I don’t, am I even a man? Jianwen, lead the way to that Karate Club.”

“Sigh, fine.”

Then the three of us followed Zhao Jianwen, the only one who knew the way. The Karate Club grounds were behind the school building, a rather quiet place. It was a wealthy, sizable club.

Usually, there weren’t many people behind the school building. Crowds only gathered during club activities. But right now, the place was packed!

When we arrived in front of the Karate Club, the area before the luxurious dojo was crammed with people.

“Hey! Let me in! I want to watch the fight!”

“Yeah! Let us in!”

“Sorry, it’s full inside.” Two students in martial arts uniforms stood at the entrance, blocking the crowd.

“Excuse me, let us through.” I tried to push in with the three fat guys.

“Hey, who are you? Stop pushing!”

“Wait, it’s full inside. Non-club members can’t enter.” They blocked us at the door.

“Don’t you know who I am?” The students guarding the entrance looked like freshmen. They didn’t recognize their minister’s arch-enemy?

“I’m Li Xiaobai.”

“Sorry, never heard of you.” The guard said arrogantly.

“You don’t? I’m the one who’s about to teach your vice minister a lesson!” I growled, losing patience. I pushed him aside and tried to enter with the others.

“Wait, you can go in, but they can’t.” The guard stepped forward to block us again.

“Get lost…” I glared at him with my murderous dead fish eye.

“Uh-” The guard, like that girl earlier, was startled and stepped back.

Taking advantage of his retreat, we slipped inside.

“Huh? Why is it so cool…” Lin Xiaopang started to say, but once inside, he was intimidated by the atmosphere.

The dojo was spacious, but it was also packed with people.

Luo Dongba stood in the center, striking a handsome, inscrutable pose. The Karate Club members, all in uniform, sat in a square around him.

Behind them were at least two hundred more people, probably from the Education Department, all glaring at me with malice.

I also spotted Ye Ying. She was standing with a group of girls, chatting. But when they saw me, they stopped talking and looked my way. Ye Ying’s eyes were full of worry.

Worry? That woman sure knows how to act. I bet she’s itching to come over and beat me up herself.

“I thought you wouldn’t dare show up…”

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