Chapter 21: Didn't Old Chen's sister get married?

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"Damn it, my meal card is with Su Xue. If I had my meal card, why would I have to eat this stuff just to fill my stomach?"

"Yue—"

Chen Fan nearly choked on his bread and gagged, quickly gulping down some water.

After a moment,

finally half-full, Chen Fan patted his belly and walked out of the cafeteria.

Just as he reached the basketball court beside the cafeteria,

Wei Xun, wearing a short-sleeved shirt, waved his hand eagerly. "Fanzi, where are you running off to? Hurry up, three-on-three, two rounds, then home for dinner."

"Okay!"

At that moment, a skinny, slightly dark-skinned boy approached from outside the court.

Looking up at the tall and burly Chen Fan and Wei Xun, he stammered, "Um... Chen Fan, I... I need to talk to you."

Chen Fan, twisting his waist and arms, stopped and eyed the boy suspiciously. "Bro, do we know each other?"

A sports student who had just tied his shoelaces stood up and said first, "Old Chen, this is Wang Yuan from our class. Wang Yuan, what do you want with Old Chen? Is there something you need?"

Wang Yuan nodded gratefully at the boy, then turned to Chen Fan and said, "Chen Fan, a classmate’s older brother is friends with your sister’s boyfriend. Your sister's boyfriend asked him to bring you something, said it’s right outside the school gate, and told me to bring you to get it."

Chen Fan’s eyes flickered, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

Beside him, Wei Xun and the others were stunned.

Old Chen’s sister’s boyfriend?

Weren’t both of Old Chen’s sisters married?

Could it be...

Everyone looked at Chen Fan in shock, especially Wei Xun, who wore an expression as if savoring juicy gossip.

Chen Fan rolled his eyes silently.

While putting on his clothes, he gave Wei Xun a subtle glance and lightly said two words: "Yang Hua."

Wei Xun’s expression stiffened instantly, understanding the meaning behind that look.

Chen Fan said no more, following the boy named Wang Yuan out of the school.

Outside the school, by a small shop across the street,

Chu Dawang, Wang Jinzhou, and over ten others chatted casually.

Each one held their heads high, looking down their noses at anyone, speaking with their chins raised.

They swore constantly, voices growing louder, spitting on the ground with no manners, whistling at passing girls.

Some even felt the winter was too warm, stripping off their jackets to reveal black sleeveless vests and tattoos of dragons and tigers.

Whenever this gang gathered, whether passerby or stray cats and dogs, all received their hostile glares.

They embodied the arrogant and rogue spirit of street thugs to the fullest.

"Jinzi, call your cousin’s classmate already. It’s been ages and he’s still not out."

Chu Dawang leaned lazily on a deck chair, crossing his legs.

Wang Jinzhou was about to dial but stopped when he saw two figures walking from the school gate and smiled, "No need to call, he’s here! Brothers, don’t hold back when you deal with him. This kid’s got some real skills; don’t let him get the upper hand!"

"Damn, he’s just a kid barely grown a beard, what’s there to worry about?"

"Yeah, what’s his so-called skill good for? We could drown him with our spit!"

"Let me start the first blow, no stealing my thunder!"

To them, a student is just a student; no matter how tough or cool you are, it only counts inside school.

Once outside, you either lie low if you’re a tiger or coil back if you’re a dragon, because their fists, blades, and steel rods have no mercy.

Watching Chen Fan and Wang Yuan cross the street,

the gang cracked their knuckles eagerly.

Backed by their brothers, Chu Dawang and Wang Jinzhou showed no fear, glaring fiercely with fists clenched tightly.

When Chen Fan and Wang Yuan reached the opposite side,

Wang Yuan, intimidated by the tattooed, fierce-looking group, suddenly softened and said, "Jinzi, didn’t you say you’d bring something for Chen Fan? Why..."

Wang Jinzhou raised his hand to cut him off, "Wang Yuan, stay put and behave. This isn’t your business."

Then he punched Chen Fan’s chest hard, "Chen Fan won’t hurt you or snitch on you. He won’t dare mess with you, right, Chen Fan?"

He gritted his teeth on the last two words.

Chu Dawang sneered beside him, "Little Wang, Jinzi has spoken, what are you afraid of? Just stay calm. We’re not going to start a fight, just have a little chat."

Then he shoved Chen Fan, "Come on, Chen Fan, let’s go to the alley and have a proper talk."

"Lead the way!"

Chen Fan laughed confidently, unafraid, striding toward the alley.

Chu Dawang, Wang Jinzhou, and the others didn’t expect him to comply so easily and hurried after him.

As for Wang Yuan, he was left guarded by a skinny thug to prevent him from alerting teachers or the police.

Across the street, students and teachers watched.

Since Chen Fan had walked out voluntarily with a group following, they weren’t sure if this was trouble, so they didn’t rush to call the police.

Among them, one person looked worried watching Chen Fan’s back; another wore a face full of schadenfreude.

Meanwhile, Zhang Zheng and Hu Kai, hidden in a corner, saw Chen Fan being taken away by Chu’s group and picked up wooden sticks prepared on the ground to follow.

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Inside the alley.

Pushed to the deepest part, Chen Fan wasted no words, swung a fist, and struck the nearest Chu Dawang.

"Ah!"

Chu Dawang screamed, clutching his bloodied nose as he staggered back.

"Damn it... Brothers, get him!"

Wang Jinzhou, brandishing a steel pipe, yelled fiercely and swung it down hard at Chen Fan’s head.

The other thugs immediately raised their sticks and pipes, closing in on Chen Fan.

Chen Fan knocked down the loudest Wang Jinzhou with a single punch, then turned to run.

He was physically exceptional but not a superhuman warrior who could take on dozens alone.

One-on-three or one-on-five was manageable.

But one-on-ten-plus? Only a fool would attempt that!

So after flooring Wang Jinzhou, Chen Fan sprinted.

After a few steps, he suddenly stopped, spun, and delivered a flying kick that sent the lead thug flying.

"Brother Fan, we’re here!"

Zhang Zheng and Hu Kai, arriving in the alley, jumped into the fight.

But they were too naive—rather than landing knockout blows, they shouted and immediately got surrounded and beaten by Chu Dawang and three others.

Just then,

over fifty people barged into the alley, blocking the narrow street completely.

"Damn you all, brothers, attack!"

Wei Xun shouted, leading his men into the alley.

The thunderous footsteps and roaring cries overwhelmed Wang Jinzhou’s group, who froze in place.

Seeing the dense crowd, the thugs’ scalps tingled, legs trembling.

In moments, Wang Jinzhou’s gang was swallowed up by the crowd.

Chu Dawang and the others surrounded Zhang Zheng and Hu Kai but were swept away by the surge.

Screams and pleas filled the alley.

The once fierce gang lay battered under relentless beating, pinned and kicked into the ground.

Had it not been for the timely arrival of teachers and security from the school,

Chu Dawang, Wang Jinzhou, and their brothers would have surely lost many limbs.

In the end,

because Wang Yuan testified and the shop owner corroborated, Chu Dawang’s gang was taken away by the county police.

As for Chen Fan, Wei Xun, and their group,

they only cooperated with the investigation and gave statements, then got scolded by the dean before being sent home, told to come back on time for evening study.

Some might say this is too unrealistic.

A brawl involving so many, with the thugs arrested, yet Chen Fan’s side untouched?

Remember, Chen Fan and his friends are still students at First High School, about to take their college entrance exams.

As long as they wear their school uniforms and remain students, their status remains protected.

Like I said, before entering society, besides parents, student identity is your best shield, and the school your greatest umbrella.

If you don’t cause trouble, and outsiders mess with you first, one call and those outsiders won’t get off lightly.

Especially since Chu Dawang’s gang started the fight today.

At 6:30 p.m.,

after leaving school, Chen Fan and the others rode their bikes home separately.

But Chen Fan didn’t leave immediately; instead, he pushed his bike to the small shop across the street.

"Chen Fan, come eat at my place!"

"No thanks, Uncle Yang. I eat a lot, your cooking alone won’t fill me. Thanks for today’s help, though."

"Don’t mention it!"

After greeting the shop owner,

Chen Fan looked at Zhang Zheng and Hu Kai, who sat outside smoking, and smiled, "Didn’t expect you two to help me today. Thanks!"

"No need to thank us, Brother Fan. We didn’t really help; we just got beaten by Chu Dawang’s men while you were busy."

"If it weren’t for your brothers arriving on time, we’d have been beaten badly too. It’s us who should thank you."

Zhang Zheng and Hu Kai shook their heads, smiling wryly.

Chen Fan bought a pack of unopened cigarettes and offered it to them, but they declined awkwardly.

Not having helped much, they felt embarrassed to accept.

"You two wanted to warn me, right? Uncle Yang already told me in private. Even if it didn’t work out, I still appreciate it. If you don’t accept this, you’re looking down on me."

Hearing this, the brothers immediately grabbed the cigarettes.

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Chen Fan sat beside them, watching their cautious expressions. "Uncle Yang mentioned you two want to stick with me?"

"Yes!"

"I’m still a student. Why would you want to follow me?"

Zhang Zheng and Hu Kai were speechless, unsure how to answer.

Right, Brother Fan is still a student, not involved in society. So why follow him?

Seeing their hesitation, Chen Fan said plainly, "I’m the kind of person who respects back tenfold. I remember what you did today—warning me and helping out. But if you want to follow me into the underworld, forget it. I won’t."

"If you ever have nowhere to eat or stay, just because of today, I, Chen Fan, will take care of your food and drink."

He pulled fifty yuan and a note from his pocket, handing them over. "You don’t sound like you’re from around here. It’s late; catch the bus home early."

"If you want to hang out, play games or basketball, call me anytime. But don’t drag me into the underworld—I still have to study."

Chen Fan patted their shoulders, stood up, and got on his bike.

Before leaving, he couldn’t help but say, "Chu Dawang and Wang Jinzhou will probably get out in seven days or two weeks at most. As long as I’m still in school, they likely won’t bother me again. But be careful—you showed you’re on my side today. They can’t touch me, but they might target you."

Their faces immediately darkened.

They had just started mixing in the county, their biggest acquaintance being Chu Dawang’s older brother, Xiao Ze. If Chu Dawang and Wang Jinzhou didn’t let them off after release, they’d have to hide in their village forever, never stepping foot in the county again.

As for joining another gang, they were strangers with no status—no one would accept them as underlings.

Thinking this, Zhang Zheng looked up at Chen Fan. "Brother Fan, if you knew Chu Dawang and Wang Jinzhou would come after us, you must have a way to deal with them. Please show us the way."

This smart guy was sharp... Chen Fan nodded with a smile. "There’s definitely a way. But first, answer me this."

"Go ahead, Brother Fan."

"Did Chu Dawang and Wang Jinzhou ever extort money from kids in your village or township?"

Hu Kai slapped his thigh and said through gritted teeth, "Honestly, Brother Fan, both of us were extorted by them. We followed them because they often brought a gang to bully us. That’s why we chose to join their underworld."

Chen Fan stroked his chin, smiling. "In our country’s law, bullying children can land you in jail, usually under three years. Severe cases mean three to ten years, and the worst, over ten years."

Zhang Zheng’s eyes lit up. "Brother Fan, severe cases are..."

"Organized crime, gang bullying, leading a team with a scale and discipline using violent means to extort money, threatening lives, all that counts as serious."

Hearing this, Zhang Zheng’s eyes sparkled brighter, standing up. "Brother Fan, I know what to do now. Thanks for your guidance. I’ll remember this forever."

Hu Kai, having caught on, also bowed in thanks.

"Good. When you finish dealing with Chu Dawang and Wang Jinzhou, call me. I don’t care who you hang with in the underworld, but if you want to make honest money, I can introduce you to some opportunities."

"Got it, Brother Fan!"

Chen Fan was about to pedal away when Zhang Zheng stopped him with a phone in hand. "Brother Fan, you wanted a photo of Xiao Ze. I brought it."

Seeing the photo of Xiao Ze sporting a perm, Chen Fan’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he nodded calmly. "Mm, I remember. Contact me when it’s done."

Then he rode off.

But after turning his back to them, Chen Fan chuckled softly to himself.

"Damn, it really is you, Xiao Ze. Now I finally understand what happened with number 25 in my past life."

...

Evening study.

Tonight’s two classes for Senior Three Class Five were both math, taught by Teacher Gao Xiaojing.

Chen Fan, holding a math test paper with a score of 55, no longer felt the sky was falling but rather became used to it.

Since Ding doesn’t understand and Xie doesn’t care, he began to slack off again.

Would he fall asleep instantly like at noon?

Chen Fan wondered.

The next moment, Teacher Gao had just started the first question when Chen Fan suddenly dropped into an instant nap.

Seeing this, Gao Xiaojing frowned slightly—was her class really a sleep aid? Chen Fan was too disrespectful...

But she didn’t make a fuss, already used to him sleeping in her class. It was the first math lesson of the semester—let anyone sleep.

At 8:40, the first class ended.

Chen Fan still slept on his desk, no matter how loudly Wei Xun called, he couldn’t wake him.

Meanwhile, Su Xue, who had been looking for a chance all day, unusually didn’t glance at Chen Fan. Grabbing a pack of tissues, she hurried toward the old restroom behind the teaching building.

Arriving there, Su Xue passed quickly and headed into the dark grove ahead, where no light shone.

Just then, in the faint moonlight stood a handsome young man.

"Qinghe!"

"Xue!"

In the forest, Zhao Qinghe and Su Xue held hands, looking at each other.

A minute later, Su Xue, a bit upset, pressed into Zhao Qinghe’s chest. "Qinghe, after school I might have to meet Chen Fan alone at our old spot. Don’t misunderstand—I just want to get him to cover our phone bills and tutoring expenses."