Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Celebrity

“Ha! Didn’t expect you actually have some skill! How about it? Let me spar with you!”

Seeing the vice principal lift him for a moment and cause him to stumble back three steps, the big guy was quite surprised. He knew his own weight was substantial—most people simply couldn’t do that.

With that, the big guy took a step forward and swung his palm at the vice principal. The vice principal was startled—this kid actually dared to throw a punch! He quickly stepped back, narrowly avoiding the slap.

“Are you still a student? How can you lay a hand on a teacher?” The vice principal regained his composure. Though a fire burned inside him, he understood the situation clearly. If he really fought these two students, regardless of the outcome, he would lose face.

If someone with ill intentions got wind of it, the vice principal could easily imagine one possibility: accusations of corporal punishment hidden behind closed doors. If that label stuck to him, an investigation would surely follow. Whether or not anything was uncovered, for someone who valued reputation and life equally, it was utterly unbearable.

Why did he leave the military to become a school administrator? Because of his temper, of course. Although he’d changed much over the years, his essential nature remained. So now, calming down, he knew he really wasn’t suited to fight these two students.

The vice principal didn’t want to escalate, but the big guy was furious. After twice being easily dodged, the big guy initially intended to just teach the impudent vice principal a lesson and call it a day. But seeing the vice principal’s skills, his fighting spirit flared.

“You’ve got some moves, but you’re still not good enough in my eyes!” The big guy charged forward fiercely, like a tiger descending the mountain. The vice principal found himself with nowhere to evade and had to face the attack head-on.

Back in the military, the vice principal had been an elite soldier. Though no longer in service, his agility hadn’t diminished. He swiftly stepped back, shifted his body to dodge the punch, but now couldn’t hold back. He grabbed the big guy, pulled him forward, and struck a fist hard into the big guy’s back.

“Bang!” The big guy staggered, nearly hitting his head on the wall. The blow only fueled his indomitable spirit. But this time, he wasn’t reckless; he planted himself opposite the vice principal and gradually pressed forward.

Seeing the big guy’s change, the vice principal was astonished. If this hefty fellow had joined the army, he surely would have been a rising star. It was a shame he was so wayward now.

“I warn you, this is a school!” Honestly, the vice principal didn’t want to fight anymore, but the big guy’s focused gaze said he had no intention of stopping.

Rousing the big guy’s fighting spirit and thinking it would end there was wishful thinking. The big guy pressed forward step by step, and the vice principal’s expression darkened. If kindness wouldn’t work, he’d have to go all out.

Despite his size, the big guy fought decisively, his punches flying like a storm, forcing the vice principal to defend constantly.

“Nice moves!” The vice principal hadn’t enjoyed fighting this much since his military days. Facing the big guy, he truly felt exhilarated.

Without wasting words, the big guy launched a flying kick aimed at the vice principal’s groin. Had it landed, the vice principal’s life would have been ruined. But being a soldier once, his reflexes were quick; he bent down and blocked the kick with his arm. However, that left an opening.

The big guy’s elbow struck hard on the vice principal’s back. At this point, the vice principal couldn’t stand up, so he fell to the ground, using momentum to roll, surprisingly toppling the big guy in the process. He quickly rose, but the sharp pain in his thigh nearly made him fall again, forcing him to stand on one leg.

The big guy got up and smiled at the vice principal. Puzzled by the expression, the vice principal barely had time to react before the big guy suddenly leapt up. Given his weight, jumping so high was impressive. The vice principal, already hampered on one leg, lost balance and stumbled.

Fortunately, he fell; otherwise, that kick could have ended him. Still, the big guy’s foot struck the vice principal’s abdomen squarely, causing blood to spray from his nose. The big guy was ready to follow up with another kick but was stopped just in time by Song Nianqiang.

“Stop, Fatty!” Song Nianqiang shouted urgently. Hearing this, the big guy froze mid-air. Song wiped sweat from his brow—this was a close call. The vice principal wasn’t like the dean; one thing was fighting, quite another to seriously injure him. Just teaching him a lesson was enough.

“Vice principal, my principle is simple: if no one provokes me, I don’t provoke them. But if provoked, I make sure they can’t live in peace. Though this is a society governed by law, there are many loopholes to exploit. I hope you won’t cause us trouble again. We act so boldly in school without being expelled because we have backing you can’t afford to cross. I suggest you take care.”

Song Nianqiang said this because he sensed the vice principal was not a bad man. It was just his intuition, but he trusted it, thus offering a friendly warning to the beaten vice principal.

“Fatty, let’s go!” Song opened the door and left. Outside, students and teachers crowded the hallway. Song wondered why they hadn’t come in, but then noticed the sign posted on the vice principal’s door: “No entry when door is closed.”

“What a strange principal,” Song muttered, linking arms with the big guy as they departed. Word spread quickly through the school, and Song Nianqiang and the big guy instantly became the most talked-about figures. If you were a student here and didn’t know them, you simply weren’t part of the school.

“Song Nianqiang, stop right there!” Just as they discussed going out for a meal, a sharp female voice rang out behind them. Both recognized it immediately. The big guy’s face lit up with glee, while Song’s expression turned sour.

The school had good intentions, but after Song’s outburst, the event was canceled. Some were displeased with Song Nianqiang but dared not voice it. The dean had been beaten, now even the vice principal—who else would dare to cross them?

“Bro, I’m rooting for you. I believe you can win her over! I won’t disturb you two—catch you later!” With that, the big guy dashed off, vanishing in a blink. Song wanted to run too, but knew the consequences would be disastrous.

Right now, Jiang Ningzhi was acting like a strict housekeeper. If Song fled, his days ahead would be miserable—unless he stopped coming to school altogether.

Though he wasn’t here to study, Song had to come occasionally to avoid suspicion. Inevitably, that meant running into Jiang Ningzhi.