Chapter 4: A Violent Prevision

After a series of peculiar sounds echoed, Qiao Xia’s vision abruptly went black before he could even glance around.

Immediately, the strange sounds resumed.

[Energy levels critically low. Future sight duration adjusted to ten minutes. Would you like to proceed?]

‘What in the world does that mean?’

Qiao Xia listened in utter bewilderment, utterly clueless as to who was hiding in the shadows, playing such a tedious prank.

‘Future sight? Are they trying to trick a three-year-old?’

Still, he couldn’t fathom how anyone could achieve this. Not only had his vision been plunged into darkness, but his hearing also seemed to be impaired, leaving him unable to perceive anything.

It felt as if he was entirely alone. All the surrounding classmates had vanished, and not even the slightest sound broke the eerie silence.

“Fine, fine, open it! I’d love to see how you’re going to let me ‘foresee the future.'”

While internally speculating whether his unseen tormentor was employing some high-tech gadgetry to create this illusion, Qiao Xia didn’t forget to respond, eager to see how the charade would unfold.

‘If ‘foreseeing the future’ were genuinely possible, the Nobel Prize would have been awarded long ago.’

[Automatically deducting 100 yuan. Future projection initializing… Projection successful. Commencing now.]

However, just as Qiao Xia remained convinced that ‘future sight’ was nothing more than a prank, the oppressive darkness before his eyes abruptly shifted. It was as if a powerful beam of light had pierced through a thick black fog, causing a spectrum of vibrant colors to burst forth.

Yet, once Qiao Xia’s eyes swiftly adjusted to the intense glare, he realized he was no longer within the confines of his classroom.

‘What the hell? Was that teleportation?’

He gazed in confusion at the scene before him. Besides a formidable red brick wall blocking his path, a blue dumpster overflowing with trash stood to his left. To his right, a row of faucets dripped incessantly, their rhythmic plinks adding to the cacophony overhead. Utterly bewildered, Qiao Xia tilted his head upwards.

He discovered a construction crew engaged in high-altitude work, using a tower crane to slowly hoist steel rebar, steadily erecting the building’s framework.

‘This scene… it feels strangely familiar,’ he mused. ‘Wait a minute, isn’t this the construction site for the new dormitory building, located behind the school’s main academic block?’

‘How did I end up here?’

Just as Qiao Xia was grappling with his sudden teleportation behind the academic building, a familiar voice abruptly rang out. “Qiao Xia, you really are a brave one, daring to follow me here. Heh, you truly have no idea how vast the world is, do you? Don’t you know that Li Ge, the boss of First High, is me!”

The sudden voice startled Qiao Xia, who, still reeling from his inexplicable teleportation, immediately looked towards its source with a surge of relief. He thought that even if he saw the punk guy now, he wouldn’t mind, as long as someone could just explain what was actually happening!

As Qiao Xia looked, something truly bizarre occurred. Where there had been no one just moments before, now, as if by magic, a crowd of students had materialized. Aside from the punk who had provoked him in the classroom earlier, numerous onlookers now surrounded them, their eyes glinting with eager gossip as they watched the unfolding scene.

Among them were many instigators, practically itching for Qiao Xia and the punk to start fighting immediately, hoping to inject some excitement into their otherwise dull school lives.

“What are you blabbering about? Did you call me here just to spout this nonsense? If you want to fight, then hurry up! I still have to get back to class!”

However, just as Qiao Xia was about to open his mouth and demand an explanation, an entirely different set of words emerged instead.

Qiao Xia’s brow furrowed in a mix of surprise and alarm. He suddenly realized that something was profoundly wrong with the current situation.

He couldn’t even control his own body!

“Heh, you’re really eager for a beating, aren’t you? Fine, no need to wait for my brothers. A pathetic worm like you, I can take care of with one hand.”

Upon hearing Qiao Xia’s utterly impolite remarks, the punk’s face darkened considerably. He clearly hadn’t anticipated such stubborn defiance from Qiao Xia.

Not even a plea for mercy now.

‘Heh, we’ll see if you’re still not crying and begging for mercy in the end!’

“Li Ge, take it easy! If you send this kid to the hospital, the school won’t let you off the hook.”

“Hehe, Li Ge knows his limits. Why are you bothering to worry?”

“Come on, fight already! I risked skipping class just to see this brawl. Finish it quickly so I can get back!”

Just as the punk decided to teach Qiao Xia a thorough lesson, a few students among the onlookers couldn’t help but chuckle and chime in. Their comments ignited the excitement of the others, who were now eagerly anticipating the sight of a one-sided beatdown.

The students who gathered to watch fights here were typically those with poor academic records. These weren’t ordinary, oblivious students; rather, they were well-versed in the school’s intricate underground hierarchy.

Take Li Lin Guan, for example, the punk from Class 8, Grade 3. Having practiced Sanda for many years, his iron fists were notorious for leaving opponents bruised, battered, and missing teeth.

He had carved out a fearsome reputation for himself at First High, a formidable figure whose name alone was enough to make countless individuals blanch.

Though he had once quieted down after being disciplined by the school for collecting protection money, his interest in Duan Yulan, a student from Grade 2, had prompted him to re-emerge and reassert his dominance over First High.

His sudden challenge to such an unknown, insignificant figure had piqued everyone’s curiosity. They secretly planned to inquire further after school, eager to uncover the full story behind this unexpected confrontation.

As the surrounding students continued their taunts, Qiao Xia, with an ‘impatient’ clenching of his fists, unexpectedly struck first, catching everyone off guard.

His fist landed directly on the punk’s stomach, sending him stumbling back several steps. The punk then clutched his abdomen, his face contorted in pain, as he coughed uncontrollably, tears of agony welling in his eyes.

“No way! Are you actually that weak?”

After swiftly knocking the punk to the ground, Qiao Xia let out a few cold sneers, his subsequent words dripping with mockery.

The surrounding students gasped collectively, utterly taken aback by this unexpected turn of events.

Instead of Li Lin Guan teaching someone a lesson, he was the one being taught.

‘And that punch didn’t even look that powerful! How did it manage to incapacitate Li Lin Guan like this?’

Unable to truly gauge the impact of that punch, the onlookers speculated with detached ease. Their gazes, now laced with suspicion, fell upon Li Lin Guan, infuriating the punk who had just begun to recover. His already churning stomach felt even more wretched.

After that single punch, the punk finally understood why Qiao Xia had shown no fear. It turned out Qiao Xia was a trained fighter.

‘Still, that was just me being careless.’

‘Next time, hmph, let’s see how you fare in a real fight!’

With that thought, the punk immediately clenched his fists and lunged fiercely towards Qiao Xia.

Then, a steel rebar descended rapidly and directly from the sky, hurtling towards the punk. It pierced him with horrifying precision, straight through from top to bottom.

Blood splattered outwards, drenching Qiao Xia, who stood opposite.

[Simulation concluded. Returning to reality.]

Then, as the peculiar sound echoed once more, Qiao Xia’s vision plunged into darkness again.

Once the darkness dissipated, Qiao Xia found himself back in the classroom. The punk still stood before him, radiating the same arrogant demeanor. The terrifying scene he had just witnessed felt as though it had been nothing more than a vivid dream.