Chapter 24

As a place where the hopeful students of the nation's future gather, the school's security is relatively good compared to other places. However, these freshmen, who have just been liberated from the heavy academic burden of their senior year and are a bit overconfident, have not learned much about life perspectives and values from their textbooks. As a result, female students dress like mistresses, while mistresses increasingly resemble students.

Male students think that smoking and drinking are very cool things to do. If it weren't for the school's rules, they would dye their hair in various colors and get multiple piercings to look even more stylish. Moreover, the wealthy young masters with money in their pockets need a bit of flair and lackeys, and the snacks sold by merchants who make money from students are cheaper than in other places.

Therefore, places like the snack street, where people can drink and chat, attract many people from society. These people come here to eat and drink, and sometimes help a young master bully other less confident young men, but they don't do anything too excessive. The police turn a blind eye to this, as arresting them wouldn't be enough to convict them and would offend a young master. No one wants to do such a thankless job.

Compared to the rich second-generation students who have connections with people from society, Han Hao, apart from his reputation as a playboy, is actually a relatively well-behaved child. Otherwise, he would have rallied a group to beat up this so-called "Brother Dao" and his lackeys, rather than being beaten up himself.

"Girl, is this your boyfriend? Come over and pour a drink for Brother Dao and apologize. This matter will be considered settled. Otherwise, be careful when you walk around; there are a lot of perverts following students these days." One of Brother Dao's lackeys kicked Han Hao, who was lying on the ground, and greedily scanned Ouyang Ningjing and Meng Qin, swallowing his saliva.

Although these people beat up Han Hao while drunk, they knew they were near the school and couldn't go too far. Or perhaps they didn't have the nerve to do so. While Han Hao looked badly beaten, most of the punches and kicks were aimed at his buttocks and thighs, which have more flesh.

Apart from a cut on his head, probably from a drunk thug's random strike, the rest were just superficial injuries. Asking Ouyang Ningjing and Meng Qin to apologize was just a matter of saving face. If this had happened in a bar or elsewhere, it might not have ended so well.

"It's fine, let's go." Seeing that the thugs were still acting within limits, Wang Fusheng patted Qi Tianyang's shoulder and whispered.

There were many male students around, eager to play the hero and save the girls. However, hearing Han Hao's groans and seeing the tattoos and unfriendly gazes of the thugs and the bare-chested Brother Dao, their enthusiasm for heroism quickly waned. They could only stand by and watch, too afraid to act. Wang Fusheng, of course, had no such heroic intentions.

"Wang Fusheng." Just as Wang Fusheng was about to leave, Ouyang Ningjing saw a familiar figure. Despite being scared and pale, she found the courage to push through the thugs, step over the groaning Han Hao and his friends, and grab Wang Fusheng, as if he were a lifeline.

Ouyang Ningjing, who had never encountered such a scene, was still trembling, but for some reason, her heart, which had been pounding with fear, suddenly felt safe. She clung to Wang Fusheng even tighter.

"Hey, where did this big shot come from? Want to play the hero?" Brother Dao, who was waiting for the two girls to pour drinks, felt extremely embarrassed when he saw a girl who looked like a lamb suddenly rush out and grab another man.

"We've beaten him up and vented our anger. Let's just call it a day, okay?" Seeing Ouyang Ningjing, who was trembling and looking at him with pleading eyes, Wang Fusheng's heart softened. Clearly, this young lady had never experienced such a situation and was truly scared.

However, Wang Fusheng, who was a master of human nature on the battlefield, was still a naive youth in the civilian world. His seemingly weak words were not perceived that way by Brother Dao. In the civilian world, flirting with a girl is much more prestigious than beating up a few guys. Wang Fusheng's words made Brother Dao feel extremely embarrassed.

"Ha! You're not only fat but also arrogant. Today, Brother Dao will show you why the Horse King has three eyes." Brother Dao's face darkened, and the thugs surrounded them with ill intent. The crowd stepped back, and Qi Tianyang instinctively took a step back but then stood firmly beside Wang Fusheng.

"It's fine." Wang Fusheng smiled faintly, seemingly reassuring Qi Tianyang but also comforting the frightened Ouyang Ningjing.

"What's going on here? What are you all doing? Dao, are you causing trouble again? Do you want to spend a few years in jail?" A few police officers rushed over before the thugs could act. The lead officer shouted, his gaze sweeping over Wang Fusheng and the others, then looking at the groaning Han Hao and his friends on the ground.

"Captain Zhao, how could I? This time, it wasn't me who started it. I was just sitting here eating, and these students insisted I give up my seat. When I refused, they threatened to beat me. This brother couldn't stand it and got into an argument. I didn't even lift a finger." Dao, with a fawning smile, approached and offered Captain Zhao a cigarette.

In fact, upon seeing Han Hao and his friends, who looked badly beaten but only had superficial injuries, and Ouyang Ningjing's expression, Captain Zhao knew what had happened. Clearly, it was another case of a young master trying to impress a girl and clear the area, only to be beaten up by some drunk thugs. This scene had played out countless times on this snack street.

As the local police officer, Captain Zhao knew the social thugs in the area very well. When he received the report, he knew it wouldn't be a big deal and planned to come later. By then, the matter would be resolved, and the beaten-up person would likely feel too embarrassed to report it and would seek private retribution.

This wouldn't concern Captain Zhao. He would come to handle the aftermath, call an ambulance, determine who was at fault, and compensate the stall owners for their losses. The matter would be over, without even needing to file a case. Captain Zhao was very experienced in handling such minor disputes.

However, today was different. Just as Captain Zhao was about to finish his bowl of pig's intestine and come to handle the aftermath, the chief's call came, ordering him to deal with the matter seriously and quickly. Captain Zhao rushed over without even taking a bite of his food.

"Stop grinning. You all are coming with me to the station. Help these students up and take them to the hospital. The rest of you, make statements." Normally, Captain Zhao would have taken Dao's cigarette, but this time, he didn't know the background of the beaten-up person, so he maintained a professional demeanor.

"You dare to beat me? My uncle is the deputy mayor. You'll all go to jail for this." Apart from feeling sore and having some superficial injuries, Han Hao was actually fine. He had stayed on the ground to avoid further beating and to save face.

When the police arrived, Han Hao felt confident and immediately jumped up, pointing at Dao and shouting. He seemed to want to regain his lost dignity and impress Ouyang Ningjing. However, his appearance was quite comical, with a bamboo skewer still in his hair, making him look like a clown.

"Ah, this student, calm down. We will handle this matter seriously. Why don't you go get your injuries treated first, and we can discuss the rest later?" Han Hao's self-introduction helped Captain Zhao identify the main person involved.

"I see why the chief was so angry. The deputy mayor's nephew was beaten up." Captain Zhao muttered to himself.

Dao, who had initially dismissed Han Hao and his friends, now changed his expression, his face instantly filled with fawning smiles as he approached.

"Sir, this is all a misunderstanding. If you had mentioned you were the deputy mayor's nephew earlier, this wouldn't have happened. I apologize for this. In the future, whatever you say, I will do. If you point east, I won't go west. If you say to beat a dog, I won't chase a chicken."

Dao, a seasoned social thug, was skilled in flattery. His words left Han Hao, who was initially very angry, stunned, seemingly forgetting his soreness. Dao then continued to praise Han Hao's bravery and willingness to protect Ouyang Ningjing and the other girls, framing the incident as a heroic act of saving the girls and standing up to the bullies. This struck a chord with Han Hao.

"Considering your sincere apology, I won't pursue this matter. However, in the future..." Despite feeling elated by Dao's flattery, Han Hao still struck a few poses he thought were cool, though he had a bit of a hidden agenda.

"In the future, whatever the boss says, I will do. If you point east, I won't go west. If you say to beat a dog, I won't chase a chicken." Hearing Han Hao's words, Dao immediately showed utmost respect. A schoolboy had just gained a few social thugs as lackeys, and Han Hao felt very proud, glancing at Ouyang Ningjing with a smug look.

However, seeing Ouyang Ningjing standing beside Wang Fusheng, holding onto his shirt, Han Hao's face darkened, and his eyes flashed with jealousy. Han Hao had been pursuing Ouyang Ningjing for a long time but had never been this close to her, let alone been held by her.

"Brother, should we go to the medical room first, and you should change your clothes..." Although Dao wanted to show off, the police were still around, and he didn't have the chance. Moreover, Han Hao and his friends were still in bad shape. While Dao knew his men had been careful, he was still a bit uneasy, as Han Hao looked quite beaten up.

"Yes, let's go to the medical room." Reminded by Dao, Han Hao also realized how embarrassing his appearance was. After glaring at Li Feng, he was escorted by Dao and his men to the school's medical room.

"Let's go eat." Seeing that everything was fine, Wang Fusheng glanced at Ouyang Ningjing, who blushed and let go of his hand. Then, he put his arm around Qi Tianyang's shoulder and walked away. However, he glanced at a few seemingly ordinary diners nearby, either intentionally or unintentionally.