Chapter 42: A Friend’s Withdrawal

Liu Hong, standing a full 1.8 meters tall, possessed broad shoulders and a narrow waist, his lean, muscular physique perfectly proportioned.

Beneath his school uniform shirt, powerful, explosive muscles were evident.

This was crucial to his ability to face multiple opponents in a brawl; beyond skill, his physical prowess was a significant factor.

Yet, purely judging by his appearance, Liu Hong possessed a rather delicate look.

He seemed gentle and refined, with two faint dimples at the corners of his mouth when he smiled, making it difficult to associate him with the ‘mad dog’ many called him.

Nevertheless, it was true.

At the very least, every student in Class Six knew Liu Hong.

“Brother Liu, you know Chen Sen too? Yes, yes, Chen Sen and I are friends! He said he’d protect me!”

Wang Fanran, who had been brutally beaten by Zhou Lin, suddenly heard the name Chen Sen escape Liu Hong’s lips. A flicker of hope ignited in his small eyes, realizing he might be saved.

When Liu Hong mentioned Chen Sen’s name, no hint of disgust crossed his face, suggesting their relationship was not antagonistic.

Within Class Six, Liu Hong was the strongest.

Even Zhou Lin and Wang Jian were his subordinates, a testament to Liu Hong’s standing in the school.

Given that Liu Hong knew Chen Sen, their relationship was undoubtedly significant.

After all, few people truly knew that eccentric Chen Sen.

His actions were always shrouded in mystery.

Had it not been for that accidental incident, Wang Fanran wouldn’t have known Chen Sen either…

At this thought, Wang Fanran couldn’t help but grin. Despite his bruised and swollen face, joy radiated, knowing he was now safe.

With this turn of events, it seemed fate was still on his side.

‘That damned Zhou Lin.’

‘He had dared to hit him so hard just now; Wang Fanran vowed to retaliate fiercely later.’

As Liu Hong’s subordinate, Zhou Lin would have no choice but to drop his hands obediently at Liu Hong’s command, enduring the blows with a face full of furious helplessness.

‘And that bastard Lin Qing would also receive a harsh slap.’

‘No one who had laid a hand on him today would escape!’

“Friends? That’s not what Chen Sen said!”

However, just as excitement surged within Wang Fanran, Liu Hong’s next sentence poured a bucket of cold water over him.

Wang Fanran’s expression froze in disbelief, unable to process what he had just heard.

‘What in the world is Chen Sen doing?!’

‘He and Chen Sen were about to embark on something together; could they not even be considered friends?’

‘Damn it.’

“Brother Liu, it’s not like that. I’ll call Chen Sen and let him explain it to you.”

Bearing the gazes from all around him, Wang Fanran suddenly felt an immense pressure, like a mountain pressing down. Cold sweat drenched his back, and his body trembled.

‘He couldn’t let things escalate further!’

‘Without Chen Sen’s protection, these delinquent bastards would beat him even more severely.’

“Alright, go ahead and call.”

Liu Hong showed no intention of refusing Wang Fanran’s request to make a call. He casually raised a hand and waved, gesturing for Wang Fanran to proceed.

As he waved, Liu Hong’s gaze drifted to a certain spot in the classroom, where he saw Su Yao, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time. She was as pure and beautiful as ever, like a goddess of creation stepping out of a painting.

She wasn’t watching the commotion, but rather sat diligently reading, her perfect back exuding an aura of serene detachment.

A single glance was enough to captivate one’s gaze.

“Alright, alright, I’ll call right away.”

Having received Liu Hong’s permission, Wang Fanran endured the pain, clambering up from the floor. Disregarding his battered appearance, he sat down, quickly pulled out his phone, and dialed Chen Sen’s number.

Although Chen Sen had previously instructed him to only communicate via text, at a moment like this, he couldn’t afford to worry about such details.

‘He had to contact Chen Sen immediately.’

‘As long as Chen Sen confirmed their acquaintance, Liu Hong wouldn’t trouble him, and this would become his crucial weapon for turning the tables!’

“Beep, beep, beep.”

However, after Wang Fanran dialed the number, only a busy signal echoed from the other end.

No one answered.

No matter how many times Wang Fanran redialed, the result remained the same: Chen Sen showed no intention of picking up.

This outcome caused Wang Fanran’s arm, holding the phone, to tremble, and his ominous premonition gradually solidified into reality.

His earlier thoughts of retaliating and savagely beating Zhou Lin and Lin Qing completely vanished at this moment.

Instead, only fear remained, settling deep in Wang Fanran’s heart.

‘What in the world had happened?!’

‘Why wasn’t Chen Sen answering his calls?’

“Are you done calling now?”

Only after casting a satisfied glance at Su Yao did Liu Hong redirect his attention to Wang Fanran.

Observing Wang Fanran’s trembling state, Liu Hong curled his lip in disdain. He deemed it unwise to continue wasting time on this “dead fat pig.”

He could use that time to fawn over Su Yao more, perhaps even earning a glance from her.

Though Su Yao ignored him every time, such setbacks alone would not deter him!

“Brother Liu, I just need a little more time. Chen Sen, he just has something to do, it’s not…”

Upon hearing Liu Hong’s question, a sliver of hope flickered in Wang Fanran’s heart, and he forced a strained smile as he spoke.

However, before he could finish his sentence, Liu Hong delivered a direct kick to his chest.

Liu Hong held nothing back, nor did he need to.

The kick was immensely powerful, sending Wang Fanran’s body flying backward to crash against the storage lockers lining the classroom wall with a tremendous “clang.”

After collapsing, Wang Fanran’s face contorted in agony as he personally experienced Liu Hong’s terrifying strength.

Watching from the side, Zhou Lin couldn’t help but gasp, then quickly raised his hands in front of him, clapping softly to show his admiration for Liu Hong.

‘Brother Liu truly was Brother Liu.’

‘To kick down a heavy “fat pig” like Wang Fanran with a single blow—his leg strength was astonishing!’

‘They were truly far behind!’

“Zhou Lin, didn’t I tell you this morning? Just deal with this fat pig however you want; don’t worry about anything else.”

Witnessing Zhou Lin’s exaggerated clapping, Liu Hong rolled his eyes at him, then raised a hand and poked him in the chest.

This made Zhou Lin yelp “Ouch!” and quickly cross his arms over his chest, warding off Liu Hong’s ‘harassment.’

“How was I supposed to know there was someone named Chen Sen involved?”

Zhou Lin spoke with a hint of grievance; he genuinely hadn’t known about Chen Sen.

After all, the one who had told him to stop beating Wang Fanran earlier was Liu Hong.

Not Chen Sen.

“Right, I suppose you wouldn’t know him. He’s quite a wealthy guy. To protect this Wang Fanran, he directly transferred ten thousand yuan to me.”

Seeing Zhou Lin’s expression, Liu Hong paused, realizing his subordinates didn’t know Chen Sen.

He then didn’t hold back, instead revealing the full story.

Upon hearing “ten thousand yuan,” the surrounding onlookers couldn’t help but gasp, astonished by such a generous sum.

Ten thousand yuan was no small amount for an average student!

“However, after Li Dong’s assault incident came to light, Chen Sen heard the news and immediately canceled his request. He didn’t even want the money back, saying it was ‘compensation for my trouble.'”

Yet, there was a follow-up to the story, which was also the reason for no longer protecting Wang Fanran.

Chen Sen had withdrawn his request.