Chapter 3 To fight for a brother.

“Zhou Wen, you’re something else! Jumping into the river to save someone—aren’t you afraid of drowning?” the boy teased.

The boy was Hui Yuming, Zhou Wen’s close friend.

“Who am I? I was born under the red flag, raised under the red star, a model youth fully committed to practicing the core socialist values!” Zhou Wen boasted proudly.

“Heading online tonight?”

Hui Yuming leaned back in his chair, tilting and hooking his foot over the desk to keep his balance, looking rather casual and carefree.

“No problem!” Zhou Wen replied without hesitation, instantly revealing his true nature.

“Zhou Wen, I thought you’d changed, but you’re still the same,” said Chen Wan’er, Zhou Wen’s deskmate and good friend. Though quite attractive, she still paled in comparison to the school beauty.

“What do you mean? Saving lives, surfing the internet, and studying don’t conflict at all,” Zhou Wen declared earnestly.

Chen Wan’er was speechless.

At that moment, Zhou Wen was in high spirits, smiling involuntarily as he recalled what had just happened.

Feeling a gaze upon him, Zhou Wen instinctively looked up.

It was the school beauty sitting a row ahead, looking at him.

Su Qin.

The name flashed through Zhou Wen’s mind.

For all three years of high school, Zhou Wen had silently admired Su Qin.

Many boys at school secretly adored Su Qin, and bets were placed on who would win her heart—but no one succeeded in all those years.

Su Qin was exceptional—so outstanding that most boys could only look up to her. Not only was she beautiful and intelligent, but her family was well-off, attracting countless admirers.

Zhou Wen felt like a toad gazing wistfully at a swan flying high above, with no chance of contact.

So he buried this affection deep in his heart.

At this moment, the girl he secretly loved, Su Qin, smiled at him, her eyes filled with admiration.

Their eyes met for a second before looking away; Zhou Wen lowered his head shyly.

He murmured to himself, “Maybe being a good student is the only way to get closer to her.”

Shaking his head, Zhou Wen scattered those thoughts and began chatting with Hui Yuming.

Their deskmate Chen Wan’er looked at them with barely concealed jealousy.

Ding ding ding!

The class bell rang, and the classroom instantly grew noisy.

As Zhou Wen was boasting to Hui Yuming, a gentle fragrance caught his attention. He turned his head toward its source.

Su Qin stood quietly beside her seat.

Zhou Wen’s face flushed deeply; he felt awkward.

“Zhou Wen, I didn’t expect you to be so brave,” Su Qin said softly, her eyes carrying a hint of admiration.

This was one of the rare interactions between them. His heart was already blooming with joy, but he still shyly replied, “It’s just what I should do.”

“Zhou Wen, I think you’re quite smart. If you study hard, you’ll definitely get into a top university,” Su Qin smiled gently. As the class monitor, she sincerely wished every student could succeed.

“Keep it up!”

After speaking, Su Qin left, sensing many eyes watching her.

“Why are you blushing?” Hui Yuming teased.

“Blushing? Me? No way! Hui Yuming, do you still want me to carry you later?” Zhou Wen touched his face nervously.

It was the first time Su Qin had spoken to him.

The school beauty he had admired silently for three years had talked to him—how could he not be excited, how could he not blush?

...

At nine o’clock, the evening self-study ended, and students of Yiming No.1 High School gradually left.

Zhou Wen and Hui Yuming mingled with the crowd, heading out the school gate.

Once outside, the two headed straight to the internet café.

Many other students were heading the same way.

Although Yiming No.1 had strict management, it couldn’t control what students did after leaving the school.

“Zhou Wen, wait for me! I’m coming too!”

Under the darkening night, Zhou Wen walked under the streetlights and turned to see Yang Ke.

Yang Ke lived in the same neighborhood as Zhou Wen, was in Class 6 of Senior 3, honest and diligent, someone who buried his head in his studies without messing around.

Zhou Wen was a bit surprised; Yang Ke wasn’t the type to play games online.

“I... I’m going online to look up some study materials,” Yang Ke explained after seeing Zhou Wen’s expression.

“Let’s go, let’s go! Big brother Yang Ke’s treating us tonight, keeping us company online. Zhou Wen, you just enjoy it!” Hui Yuming threw his arm around Yang Ke’s shoulder.

Zhou Wen sensed Yang Ke was hiding something but decided not to press.

“Hurry up! If we’re late, the computers will all be taken by those little kids!”

The group hurried to the Giant Wave Internet Café.

While Zhou Wen and friends were buying tickets at the front desk, a group entered the café.

“Hello, Brother Qiang!”

“Hello, Brother Qiang! Want me to open a few computers for you?”

The front desk staff greeted them respectfully.

Brother Qiang was dark-skinned, wearing a floral shirt unbuttoned at the chest, revealing a green dragon tattoo inside. Behind him trailed a group of young followers, looking no older than twenty.

He nodded, “You guys sit down; I’m just looking around.”

His sharp gaze swept over the students at the front desk, many of whom stepped back.

Most here were students, but these newcomers were clearly local gangsters.

Yang Ke looked worried, “Will there be trouble?”

“No worries, these thugs usually don’t bother students,” Zhou Wen replied casually.

After getting their tickets, the three found computers and sat down.

“Yang Ke, sit next to us!” Hui Yuming called out.

“No, I’ll just look up some info here. I won’t disturb you playing,” Yang Ke hesitated.

Yang Ke sat a few seats away from Zhou Wen and Hui Yuming.

“Forget it, don’t mind him,” Zhou Wen said, knowing Yang Ke was hiding something.

Hui Yuming came from a wealthy family and was carefree, barely having faced any hardship.

Zhou Wen knew Yang Ke’s family situation, which made him introverted since childhood.

They started playing the game.

“D*mn, lost again!” Hui Yuming slammed the table, then suddenly said, “Wait! Where’s Yang Ke?”

Zhou Wen turned and saw Yang Ke’s seat empty, the computer screen still on, but no sign of him or his bag.

A chill ran down Zhou Wen’s spine.

“Find him!” Zhou Wen ordered coldly.

He immediately got up and searched the café, with Hui Yuming hurrying after him.

Near the back exit, in a dimly lit corner, Yang Ke was curled up on the floor, clutching his backpack, his body covered in footprints.

The backpack zipper was open, revealing stacks of red bills inside.

Though in pain, Yang Ke tightly protected his bag.

Surrounding him were the gangsters from before.

Brother Qiang sat on a computer chair, legs crossed, a cold smirk on his face.

“Yang Ke, are you okay?” Hui Yuming rushed over.

“Get lost! This isn’t your business!” a thug shouted.

“Who gave you the right to hit my classmate?” Hui Yuming’s anger flared.

He helped Yang Ke up; tears glistened at Yang Ke’s eyes as he held the bag tightly.

“Your classmate? Then this is easy,” a thug sneered.

“Your classmate bumped into Brother Qiang in the restroom. Brother Qiang still has a headache. You guys better pay up for his medical bills, or you’re not leaving this internet café!”

Before the words finished, Yang Ke loudly told Hui Yuming, “He’s fine! They just saw the money in my bag and wanted to steal it!”

Smack!

A thug slapped Yang Ke’s face hard.

A bright red handprint appeared.

“How dare you talk back? We asked you to pay Brother Qiang’s medical bills, is that stealing?” the thug growled viciously.

“D*mn it!” Hui Yuming charged forward, throwing a punch at the thug.

Several thugs staggered out; soon Hui Yuming was kicked to the ground, clutching his stomach, lying next to Yang Ke.

The commotion quickly drew attention from others in the café.

Some timid students logged off and left; braver ones gathered around.

“Giant Wave Internet Café is under Brother Qiang’s protection. Who dares cause trouble here?”

“Brother Qiang’s men are tough. Last time, someone got beaten up and sent to the hospital here.”

The crowd murmured.

“Isn’t this robbery?” someone asked.

A thug glanced over; the questioner quickly fell silent and stepped back.

A male attendant pushed through the crowd, approaching Brother Qiang with a flattering smile, offering him a cigarette and lighting it.

“Brother Qiang, calm down. These students are just ignorant. Without you, where else could they go to surf the net? They’d have been caught by the police long ago!” he said with a sly grin.

He then approached Yang Ke, smirking, “Hand over your money to Brother Qiang for his treatment, and this will all be settled.”

“This money is for my mother’s medical bills. I won’t give it to you!” Yang Ke’s eyes were resolute.

“Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. I’m helping you now; otherwise, you’ll lose your money and get beaten!” The attendant’s face darkened.

“I’ll call the police, I’ll call the police,” Yang Ke stammered, lowering his head.

“Call the police? Ha!” Brother Qiang stood, smoking in hand, swaggering toward Yang Ke.

“Your mom’s sick? Don’t I need treatment too? Your mom’s illness can wait—first, you pay for mine!”

Brother Qiang’s eyes blazed with menace.

Just a few students—no threat to them!

Yang Ke trembled.

At that moment, a figure clad in a white school uniform appeared before them.

It was Zhou Wen, who had just arrived. Seeing this scene, his face darkened with fury.

Brother Qiang had the audacity to seize even Yang Ke’s life-saving money—utterly heartless!