Chapter Thirty-Six: Whether Blessing or Calamity, None Can Escape It

The sports students in Class 14 were all sprinters. Relying on their speed, they charged back and forth across the pitch. Lin Cheng’s specialty was the 400-meter sprint; Zhao Guangtao was a discus thrower; Dou Guangpeng played for the city’s third-tier football team; and Sun Yuqiang was a javelin thrower. Zhao Guangtao instructed the boys to use a "catenaccio" defense, and as soon as they gained possession, they were to pass to Dou Guangpeng.

The two classes kicked and scrambled wildly for over twenty minutes. Dou Guangpeng single-handedly tore through their half several times, scoring a hat-trick all by himself. Caught up in the frenzy, the boys from Class 3 became like wild horses off their leashes, completely disregarding their stamina. Lin Cheng received the ball in midfield—he was more than twenty meters away from the goal! He simply stretched out his long legs and struck the ball with a powerful kick.

With a dull thud, the ball soared into the sky like a mortar shell. Then, it began to drop, and drop, and drop toward the goal. A sudden, inexplicable gust of wind caught it, and the ball drifted right into the net. Dou Guangpeng laughed so hard he couldn't stand straight. Class 14’s goal had been breached six times! It was impossible to tell which class the girls cheering were from. The atmosphere grew even more volatile.

The pimply-faced boy lost his temper, ran back to his own goal, and kicked his own goalkeeper!

"Let go!"
"Damn it..."
"Stop fighting..."
"Pull them apart..."

As the saying goes, without the right time, even the sun and moon lose their light; without the right people, trouble starts from within; without the right place, all effort is in vain. Class 14 had started fighting among themselves.

Meanwhile, Lin Cheng’s gaze drifted toward Yu Yan time and time again—eight, nine, ten times. Of course, all the other boys were doing the same. Yu Yan either ignored them or stared back, causing the boys from Class 3 to quickly retract their "casual" glances. But when she met Lin Cheng’s gaze, she turned her head away like a proud giraffe! Her best friend, Yao Jingying, was also quite eye-catching; even though her class had lost by six goals, she was smiling more happily than if they had won, looking like a total fool.

Dou Guangpeng’s charisma wasn't just working on the girls in his own class; even the girls from Class 14 were inflamed by their passion. Once the infighting settled, Class 14 admitted defeat and bought a crate of cola, leaving it at the door of Lin Cheng’s classroom. Zhao Guangtao put on a smug, triumphant face, bragging, "Did you see me dribble past them? A Marseille turn! That’s not something just anyone can pull off!" Sun Yuqiang chimed in, "I was holding back later on, otherwise I would’ve scored a few more against them..." "Exactly, or we could’ve scored even more! We shouldn't be bad sports." "Lin Cheng, how on earth did you fluke that miraculous goal? Hahahaha..."

It was another satisfying day.

***

After school, Zhou Luoyao went to find Lin Cheng, and Zhang Yadong followed as usual. Zhou Ye and Zheng Nange walked behind them, gritting their teeth, while Lin Cheng and Zhou Luoyao chatted aimlessly. Zhang Yadong continued to ramble on, as if the cold shoulders he’d received earlier in the day never happened. Lin Cheng would occasionally toss a reply his way.

"Hey, what did Chen Yan say to you?" Lin Cheng asked, touching a sore spot.
Zhou Luoyao blushed. "He said he wanted you to eat dung!" She ran off, shy and embarrassed.

The setting sun hung in the sky, fiery red like a glowing discus. The sunset bathed her in light, illuminating the graceful silhouette of her youthful figure.
"Ugh..." Zheng Nange glared at Lin Cheng, half-annoyed and half-amused. "Don't go looking for trouble!"

When they caught up to Zhou Luoyao, she suddenly turned around and asked in all seriousness, "Lin Cheng, will your dad be home this weekend?"
"No, he's gone to Shenzhen."
"Then we're coming to your place this weekend."
"Huh?"
"We'll finish studying and then play StarCraft."
"Right..." Chatting with Zhou Luoyao was mentally exhausting.
"Which internet café?" Zhang Yadong asked suspiciously.
"We’re playing on our own network," Lin Cheng replied, brushing him off helplessly.

Before bed the previous night, Zhou Luoyao had mentioned the situation with Zhang Yadong, saying she would walk with Lin Cheng again today before the three of them returned to the Municipal Compound. So, Lin Cheng had specifically asked his butler, Cao Yunping, to wait outside the school gate in the Mercedes 600. Lin Cheng and the others reached the car and got in. To Zhang Yadong’s utter confusion, the red taillights vanished into the night.

Zhou Luoyao’s charm was beyond doubt. They hadn't expected to encounter such a persistent "toad" that they couldn't easily crush. After all, it had only been a month, and he was a teacher, so they let it slide. They decided to use Lin Cheng’s "lightning-bolt" money-power instead. Zhang Yadong hadn't failed to dig into Zhou Luoyao’s background; he’d even inquired about Zheng Nange and Zhou Ye. The records showed that aside from Lin Cheng being the son of a "landlord," the parents of the other three were all civil servants. It was common for such children to hide their parents’ positions—it was standard practice. Zhou Luoyao couldn't exactly write that her father was a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nor could Zhou Ye mention his father was a high-ranking officer in the Garrison Command, or that Zheng Nange’s father, Zheng Qun, was a municipal secretary while her mother was a corporate president.

Only the principal and the homeroom teacher vaguely knew these students were extraordinary, and even they didn't dare pry. Classmates might have known about Zheng Nange’s father—Lin Cheng certainly did—but the three of them never talked about the backgrounds of Zhou Luoyao and Zhou Ye. Lin Cheng never asked. Just as one shouldn't ask who Jet Li’s grandfather is, these were the kind of children who, as toddlers, were pulled out of bed and handed flowers to welcome foreign heads of state at the airport. Who would go around asking about such things?

***

Late at night, Lin Cheng closed his book, washed up, and lay in bed, thinking he should check if Zhou Luoyao and the others were actually coming.
"Miss Zhou, were you being serious about today?"
It took over ten minutes for Zhou Luoyao to reply.
"Serious about what?"
"Don't play dumb."
"I was joking."
"Really?"
"Yes! Really!"
"Damn, alright. No need to trouble the butler and Auntie Hu."
The weight that had been hanging over Lin Cheng’s heart finally lifted.
"I just wanted to mess with Zhang Yadong. I didn't think you’d actually believe it."
"Oh, I see."
"He bothers me every day. Every time I’m in class, it feels like a year!"
"You really shouldn't mess with him. In the story, Jia Rui openly harassed Wang Xifeng, and she countered him three times. Jia Rui ended up dying from the ordeal. Even though the toad was in the wrong, the 'Spicy Phoenix' was still criticized for having a heart like a scorpion. In short, don't stir up trouble, and don't let anything major happen!"
Looking at Lin Cheng’s long-winded advice, Zhou Luoyao replied with a single word: "Understood!"

The night was gentle, the starlight dreamlike, yet Zhang Yadong made it impossible for many to sleep. Chen Yan lay awake staring at the ceiling of his rental apartment, fuming: Zhang Yadong is truly a freak. In just three days, he’s driven me to the brink of exhaustion! I don't know how to face him tomorrow...

Chen Yan’s worries were entirely unnecessary. What is meant to be will be; you cannot escape fate. At noon the next day, Chen Yan was grading papers in the office, and Zhou Luoyao was there too. A student burst into the office, panting. "Teacher Chen, it’s bad! Teacher Zhang is being beaten up!"

Damn! Chen Yan jumped up from his chair like a spring and bolted out of the office. Zhou Luoyao followed like the wind. Many other teachers chased after them, looking like a detachment of Imperial Guards rushing to the battlefield. When they reached the classroom door, they saw the students beating Zhang Yadong. The scene was intense... Almost all the boys from Class 5 were surrounding him, punching and kicking, with a few even using brooms to thrash him. Zhang Yadong had been backed into a corner.

Watching the commotion from the neighboring classroom, Lin Cheng and Zhang Guangtao were left absolutely dumbfounded.