Chapter 1, A Bad Beginning

However, recently even making do has become impossible, as his scoundrel uncle owes money to loan sharks

Wu Tao at the door suddenly interjected coldly, "Class is about to start, so let's get on with it."

It seemed as if a command had been issued; the onlookers who were initially just watching the commotion quickly gathered around. They took turns kicking and stomping on the boy, asking him repeatedly, "Is it you?" After a while, the boy could no longer endure it and incoherently admitted to it. Only then did the assailants appear to feel a sense of accomplishment, having completed their interrogation

He adjusted his coat and swaggered across the playground, waving to the group waiting at the entrance to be penalized from a distance. Little did he know that joy would turn to sorrow, as the grade director happened to turn around at that moment. Xu Xilin reacted swiftly and took off running.

At this moment, on the east side of the second floor of the teaching building, Dou Xun was idly wandering with his hands in his pockets. His father was busy exchanging compliments with a female teacher who had doused herself in three jin of floral water, which made him feel quite irritated. He had no expectations for his future school life and was very much in the mood for a cigarette, so he slipped out in search of a secluded restroom

The leader slapped the boy's face several times, each hit harder than the last, until it was basically a slap: "Haven't messed with you, right? Haven't provoked you, right? You said that last night, while we were playing cards, it didn't even take ten minutes in total, which son of a bitch called the dormitory manager, old Wang? Huh?"

The leader let out a sneer and suddenly grabbed his hair, slamming his head against the radiator repeatedly, four or five times: "Who else could it be but you, huh?"

The dog may have sensed something and was barking at him hysterically

The boy trembled and was unable to speak

This incident is due to his deskmate

Xu Xilin has an older brother named Song Lianyuan. When Song Lianyuan was young, his family received kindness from Xu Xilin's mother. Therefore, during every festival, he would bring something to the Xu family without fail, considering himself half a brother to Xu Xilin. Normally, there would be no need for such formality between brothers, but this time it was not just Song Lianyuan helping out. Xu Xilin could not allow his older brother to owe a favor to others because of him

Disorganized and undisciplined! This is utterly unacceptable!

As he walked down the long corridor, he saw several boys dressed in sportswear gathered there, likely athletes who had just finished their training. They shared a tacit understanding with Dou Xun, also sharing cigarettes in the secluded corridor

Key schools in the city, schools exempt from examinations? He let out a cold laugh at a bloodstain shaped like a broom star, thinking to himself, "Nonsense"

The grade director squinted his eyes and looked at Xu Xilin's back, asking in confusion: "What is going on with that student?"

As for Xu Xilin, regardless of whether he admits it or not, he is indeed a genuine troublemaker

Less than two weeks into the new semester, students are generally still immersed in the winter vacation and their New Year's money. With many day students at the Sixth Middle School, there are delays every noon, resulting in extremely poor classroom discipline during the first class in the afternoon, which is quite unacceptable

This boy is wearing the white school uniform of No. 6 Middle School, looking pale and thin, with the corners of his clothes yellowed, a sign of having been washed multiple times without coming clean. He is also holding a tattered cloth backpack in his hands

The few dead friends at the door did not spare the poor Taoist, and in unison exposed the person who had just shown off: "Jump over the wall"

Young Master Xu's wall-climbing skills have evidently reached perfection; with a simple reach, he hoisted himself up, effortlessly leaping over the fence after countless trials and tribulations, not even brushing the tips of his trousers against the iron spikes of the railing. He landed so lightly that even the stray cats wandering around the school paused to admire him.

After completing this journey, Xu Xilin arrived at school already late

Dou Xun watched this farce and thought to himself: "Isn't there enough brain matter to match the volume? It's deafening."

The grade director was momentarily taken aback, then immediately erupted in anger, shouting at the top of his lungs: "Stop right there! Which class are you from!"

Really, which family has a handsome young man of eighteen wearing thermal underwear

After a long period of silence outside, Dou Xun quietly emerged from the small compartment. He glanced at the blood that had dripped onto the ground and used his foot to crush the coagulated blood droplet.

Thus, the school assigns teachers to guard the entrance every noon. Anyone who enters the school gate after the bell rings at 2:00 PM will be kept outside and penalized with point deductions and required to write a self-reflection. This policy not only targets latecomers but also aims to catch boys in unusual attire and girls with unkempt hair. Many girls prepare a wig, tying their hair into a loose ponytail before entering the school gate, and once they have passed the checkpoint, they quickly let their hair down to reveal their true appearance

"How could I dare?" Xu Xilin said as he put on his backpack, "Grandma, I am going to school now."

After finishing, Dou Xun cleaned the ashtray and was about to leave. Just as he pushed the door of the compartment open a crack, he heard a chaotic sound of footsteps outside. Then, with a loud crash, a person flew in horizontally, their back colliding with the radiator in the corner of the bathroom. The person did not even have time to scream, letting out a brief "uh" from their throat, their limbs twitching a few times before they fell and could not get up.

This is Aunt Du, the nanny hired by his family, who has a somewhat distant kinship with Xu Xilin's mother. It is said that according to their generational relationship, Xu Xilin should address her as "Auntie by marriage." He helplessly unzipped his jacket, quickly zipped it back up, turned around, and ran off, saying, "I’m wearing it, I have something to do at school, goodbye Auntie."

The leader squatted down, tilting his head to scrutinize the struggling individual on the ground. He then grabbed the boy's hair, lifted him up, and patted his face, asking: "Aren't the older brothers treating you well?"

One of them suddenly stretched out his neck to take a look outside and nudged the person next to him with his elbow: "Hey, hey, Wu Tao, doesn’t that... look a bit like your class monitor Xu?"

Unfortunately, there is someone at home backing this worthless dog

The dog named "Dou Dou" is a mixed breed. At a glance, it appears to have a combination of various bloodlines, including those of the fox terrier, shepherd dog, and Chinese rural dog, making it a small mutt in every sense of the word

The bad boys who secretly shared cigarettes burst into laughter: "Awesome!"

Classes start at 2:20 PM, and students are required to arrive at school by 2:00 PM. It is not yet 1:30 PM, and Xu Xilin goes downstairs to look around, hails a taxi, and heads to "Yuebanwan" with a backpack full of soft Zhonghua cigarettes to deliver gifts.

"Half Moon" is a local entertainment venue. Although it operates relatively legitimately, there are still many decadent and sensual "urban legends" circulating about it. It is also one of the places prohibited in the code of conduct for middle school students. Xu Xilin, enduring the driver's disapproving gaze that seemed to hold back words, could only pretend not to see.

After a while, the head of the teaching department, with a round figure, finally arrived late, shouting in a loud voice: "Stop!"

Then he sniffed sharply—not crying, but still having a nosebleed

The group of boys who were making a loud commotion outside just walked in, with one leading the way and two following. The one named "Wu Tao" stood at the door with his arms crossed, keeping watch.

At this moment, it would be foolish to rush in and surrender. Xu Xilin took advantage of the opportunity while the plump headmaster was giving a speech, and stealthily slipped to the west side of the school gate—there, there was no wall, only a row of iron railings that were taller than a person.

It is said that "people are divided into three, six, and nine classes, while dogs can be loyal, treacherous, virtuous, or foolish." Dou Dou is just a lowly dog, this wretched creature excels at bullying the weak and fearing the strong, as well as provoking and teasing. Xu Xilin is extremely annoyed by it, wishing every day that he could secretly strangle it: "You are everywhere, meddling too much."

He vaguely put on his headphones, pushed open the door to the small restroom at the end of the hallway, closed the door of the innermost stall, and leisurely took out a cigarette while listening to Linkin Park through the headphones

Just admit it, there's no need to rush, you can take your time to sort things out later - I'm leaving first

"Go away, go away." Xu Xilin kicked their dog with his toes, snatched the backpack from the dog's mouth, and stuffed the corner of the cigarette box that was exposed back into the bag

After finishing speaking, as the class preparation bell rang, the group of young thugs dispersed in a rush. The boy who had been beaten took a long time to stagger back to his feet. He reached up to touch the blood on his nose, then bowed his head and hunched his shoulders as he made his way to the faucet. He turned on a thin stream of water, carefully rubbing the cuff of his school uniform that had just brushed against the floor. His hands trembled slightly, making it difficult to hold onto the cuff.

As soon as it called out, Grandma in the room said: "Xiao Lin, you are bullying Dou Dou again, aren't you?"

The boy being lifted strained his neck, desperately trying to alleviate the pain on his scalp, the muscles in his neck protruding prominently: "No... it's not me!"

"Are you leaving so early?" A middle-aged woman rushed out from the kitchen, and upon seeing Xu Xilin's attire, she immediately exclaimed in surprise, "Why are you not wearing a down jacket again? What are you wearing underneath? Are you wearing a thermal shirt? Pull it up and let me take a look."

Dou Xun's pupils slightly constricted, and his footsteps came to a halt

Unable to confront the main person for debt collection, a few small thugs were called in to block Cai Jing near the Sixth Middle School every day. Groups of three to five boys from the class took turns accompanying him daily. However, this constant companionship was not a solution; Cai Jing was so frightened that he didn't even dare to go out on weekends. Originally, he had finally found a McDonald's willing to schedule him for weekend shifts, but now he couldn't go there either

Xu Xilin considered for a moment and felt that the matter of the rogue could only be resolved in a rogue manner, so he took it upon himself to hire his seasoned thug, Brother Song.

He smoothed the damp corners of his clothes and walked out numbly

"No receipt, thank you." Xu Xilin grabbed his empty backpack and jumped out of the car. Upon closer inspection, he saw a line of unfortunate students standing at the school gate, queuing to register their class names.

Aunt Du's eyes were sharper than a needle, and she immediately noticed that he was only wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt under his thin jacket. She erupted in a roar from behind him: "You come back! Aren't you wearing thermal underwear? In this cold weather, you're still acting all carefree. Just wait until I turn around and tell your mother!"

Xu Xilin ran swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, she vanished beyond the sound of her voice

Xu Xilin's deskmate is named Cai Jing, who is exceptionally talented. His essays are often submitted for publication by the Chinese teacher. He has a good personality and is generous, often buying drinks for classmates who have helped him whenever he receives his manuscript fees. However, his life has not been easy; his parents passed away early, leaving him in the care of his uncle's family. His uncle indulges in drinking, gambling, and other vices, and his aunt left him when she took their children away. With nowhere else to go, Cai Jing has no choice but to live with his uncle. He takes on odd jobs during holidays or writes short articles with his Chinese teacher to earn some pocket money to get by.

Xu Xilin flew close to the ground like a tornado, thinking to himself: "Only a fool would stand still."

Wu Tao, with his crew cut, leaned his head out of the window and saw Xu Xilin rushing towards him. Perhaps sensing his gaze, Xu Xilin looked up, blew a kiss to the person in the building amidst his busy schedule, and then hurriedly dashed into the adjacent teaching building without looking back

Thirteen years ago, the young man running the flower shop had not yet grown a neatly trimmed beard, and Dou Xun was merely a resentful transfer student filled with teenage angst.