Chapter 6, Group Assault

What is there upstairs? In the distance, Xu Xilin frowned and glanced up following his finger. It was too far away for him to hear what they were saying

The young man covered his face and was unable to speak

As Xu Xilin pondered, he turned back to glance at Dou Xun, only to be unexpectedly noticed by Dou Xun, who was quite sensitive to such things! Before Xu Xilin could feel embarrassed, Dou Xun fiercely attacked him with a glare.

Coincidentally, Wu Tao was also secretly watching him, and their eyes met for a moment. Wu Tao, feeling guilty like a thief, quickly looked away

Next to the multimedia building for the first-year students on the second floor of the teaching building, there is a narrow path that only allows one person to pass. Xu Xilin skillfully squeezed in and saw a thin, small boy nervously pacing back and forth at the entrance of the second floor of the teaching building.

Dou Xun has always presented himself as taciturn, and Wu Tao did not expect him to possess such a sharp and acerbic wit. For a moment, he was at a loss for how to respond in a manner that would convey a sense of authority, leaving him momentarily stunned

The unfortunate fellow who just got beaten fell to the ground, his voice tinged with tears: "Beat him, beat him!"

Outside the stadium, I happened to encounter Wu Tao and Li Bozhi conversing, and the two of them exchanged a cigarette as if they were underground operatives meeting for a secret rendezvous

The boy who had been beaten nodded tremulously, then extended a pale hand and pointed upwards towards the building

As soon as he finished speaking, a person in the corner shouted "Your mother" and lunged forward, grabbing a mop from the corner and swinging it directly at Dou Xun's head. Dou Xun raised his arm to shield his face, taking a hit on his forearm, and then quickly grabbed a corner of the mop in return, seizing the opportunity to grasp the assailant's short hair while they were struggling for control.

The latch is a small iron piece, the screws have all rusted, and after being violently kicked two or three times by someone from outside, it met its end—the main door swung open, and an old basketball rolled in

His gaze was straightforward and sharp, exuding an air of being hard to provoke, contrasting sharply with that thing downstairs that would only chirp when kicked. In that moment, Wu Tao hesitated slightly.

Li Bozhi smiled wryly and said: "Today you can come back to stay, do you know how to behave next time? Don't rely on others to teach you anymore"

Xu Xilin ignored him and walked away quickly

A concealed weapon fell to the ground, revealing a brass key

Wu Tao : " ... ... "

Xu Xilin threw a ball to him and said, "You all play first, I... I have a stomachache"

Wu Tao turned his head in response and saw that his team was all present, instantly feeling a surge of confidence: "It is him."

He frantically picked up the mop that he had just thrown aside, and with one kick, he separated the wooden handle from the dry mop head. Then, he swung the stick towards Dou Xun, who blocked it with his arm. The wooden handle slid off his arm and grazed his head, causing a buzzing sound in his mind, and he involuntarily let go.

During the break, Xu Xilin ran three laps for the school team, and his legs became thin from running. Only then did he manage to block the coach and shamelessly secure a basketball court. However, as soon as he stepped out after the second class, he was astonished to see Qili Xiang carrying a lesson plan downstairs, seemingly intent on claiming the sports activities for herself without regard for ethics

Xu Xilin was initially taken aback, instinctively taking a step forward, but it was only a single step

Xu Xilin had no time to argue with her, as he felt he could already smell the scent of "mosquito coils" on Qilixiang: "Hurry, hurry, hurry, get on, we are counting on you!"

Xu Xilin joyfully gathered friends to occupy the basketball court, feeling quite pleased—except that everyone who encountered him had to ask, "Team Leader, what is that thing painted on your nails?"

Before he could recall who this boy was, he saw that as Wu Tao and the others walked past, the boy became stiff like a puppet with matching limbs, standing there expressionless. This dazed appearance somehow provoked Li Bozhi, who without saying a word, stepped forward and lifted one foot to kick the boy in the stomach

The boy directly sat down on the steps behind him, curling up and holding his stomach.

Luo Bing was deeply engrossed in her chemistry homework, guessing the contents of several small bottles. She had written half of the chemical formula when she was startled by Xu Xilin.

Xu Xilin circled back along the original path from the basketball court and, from a distance, saw Wu Tao and Li Bozhi leading a few people towards the second floor of the teaching building

Li Bozhi sneered: "Foolish appearance"

Xu Xilin turned her head and ran, rushing into the classroom in three steps and two strides: "Luo Bing, Luo Bing!"

Xu Xilin was suddenly filled with doubt. They had finally managed to escape from under Qilixiang's watchful eye and secured this precious activity class, so how could they just decide not to participate? It would be understandable for others to opt out, especially with exams approaching and the need to review, but Wu Tao had always been the one to take the lead! What was the difference between this and a glutton refusing a feast served right in front of them, or a lecher pushing away a beautiful woman offering herself?

Luo Bing's female deskmate took advantage of his speaking moment to pull out a small bottle of nail polish and painted a small heart on his thumb resting on the table, looking up at him with a smile and saying, "Hehe, just trying out a color"

Ah? "Lao Cheng inexplicably took the basketball, 'What kind of monster have you sealed with your nails? And why are you squatting in the bathroom holding a basketball, is it convenient to exert yourself? Hey!'"

His words landed like a signal, and several people formed a fan shape, locking the door and trapping Dou Xun in the middle of the restroom

Luo Bing faced the teacher's confusion and innocently replied: "Isn't it going to the upper body activity?"

At that moment, he disregarded any principles of group fighting and was determined to rush forward and fight fiercely with Li Bozhi

Wu Tao looked at him and shook his head, saying, "You all have fun, I have something to attend to today"

On the second floor of the teaching building, Wu Tao pulled Li Bozhi aside, glanced around, and then gently stepped on the beaten boy with his toes, bending down to ask: "Did you see that guy go up from here?"

He does not recognize those who are beaten, but rather those who do the beating. He is unaware of the grudges among the boarding students, and naturally chooses to stand by and watch.

In order to elegantly overturn a large group while being beaten by a crowd, one must possess the skills of a martial arts master and armed special police. Of course, Dou Xun does not have such abilities, but he is experienced in dealing with group assaults. He pulls the hair of the mop-headed lackey while dragging the opponent towards the corner, quickly retreating to a relatively narrow space to avoid being attacked from both sides. He then tenses his muscles, bracing himself to take hits, focusing on beating the one he has in his grasp to a pulp.

Wu Tao has personal grievances with someone, which Xu Xilin has no business interfering in; however, he still uses Wu Tao's name, which is quite untrustworthy of him

After several experiments, he discovered that only the smoke detector in the restroom on the second floor of the teaching building was faulty. Due to its infrequent use and lack of personnel to repair it, he could confidently and boldly indulge in his activities there.

Something is very wrong

Both Li Bozhi and Wu Tao, along with their group of petty rascals, are essentially bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong. They would never dare to bully her beloved darling under the watchful eyes of the public and right beneath the nose of Qilixiang.

Dou Xun is smoking in the exceptionally secluded restroom on the second floor

Wu Tao gave Li Bozhi a glance, first putting his hands in his pockets and striding towards the second floor of the teaching building. His followers followed him in single file, each greeting the boy curled up on the floor as they entered, either with a punch or a kick, as if exchanging tickets.

Do you know why I am looking for you today? In order to demonstrate that he was not being unreasonable, Wu Tao began to enumerate the charges against Dou Xun, "You hit my brother, does that mean it was for nothing?"

Wu Tao immediately came to his senses and commanded his group of lackeys to step forward and restrain Dou Xun

Dou Xun opened his mouth and answered succinctly and decisively: "It's not for free, how much is it?"

"It may be impossible to learn," Dou Xun said expressionlessly, "if only someone could teach me how to bark."

At that moment, the door that was plugged in was violently kicked from the outside; the first kick did not open it, and then came another kick.

Xu Xilin is often late, and each time he is late, he has to jump over walls, climb fences, and traverse various shortcuts, to the extent that his familiarity with every nook and cranny of the campus can rival that of the local weasel and wildcat team.

After receiving this blow, Dou Xun was instantly filled with a wild fury, thinking to himself: "I will kill him!"

During the usual self-study class, both the mathematics and physics teachers entered the room and were met with this kind of treatment; they have basically become accustomed to such scenes resembling a fan meeting. Qili Xiang did not pay much attention to it, but after answering a multitude of homework questions, when he looked up, he noticed that more than half of the class had already left.

Xu Xilin was holding a basketball and also carrying a spare one he had dug out from the equipment room. He bumped Wu Tao on the back with the basketball and nodded at Li Bozhi, saying, "Today everyone is here, shall we play a full game?"

Then he stretched lazily and caught up with the main group

On Monday morning, Xu Xilin was supposed to be on duty. He brought a bag of fruit and a bag of snacks to share with his group members, making an excuse that his "alarm clock was broken and he didn't wake up." He then apologized with a playful smile, charming his classmates and making them all happy, so they did not hold his laziness against him

Xu Xilin inexplicably received a glare, and in a fit of rage, turned his head, thinking, "Who cares about you? If you want to die, go ahead."

Thus, Xu Xilin quickly put Dou Xun out of his mind, his thoughts entirely occupied by the physical education class in the afternoon—there is only one physical activity class every Monday and Friday afternoon, and the one on Friday is likely to be taken over by the monthly exam. As a result, the activity time on Monday became increasingly precious.

Dou Xun reached into his pocket, turned off the MP3 player, and slowly turned around to face the leader, Wu Tao, without saying a word

"Pull him! Why are you just standing there!" Li Bozhi shouted with veins bulging on his forehead. Dou Xun kicked over a trash can in the corner, and a basket of worn-out toilet paper tumbled out, scrambling to fly onto Li Bozhi's white sneakers.

Oh, that's fine. Xu Xilin took a few steps forward while dribbling the ball, but suddenly felt that something was amiss. He caught the ball in his hands and turned to glance at Wu Tao.

Dou Xunwen remained motionless, letting out a cold laugh.

The scalp of the mop boy was pulled off a layer of hair with bloody roots by Dou Xun, causing him such pain that tears were about to come out. Dou Xun's strikes were ruthless, targeting the most sensitive and soft spots, and the long-neglected restroom was suddenly filled with cries of agony.

In the teaching building where classes are usually held, a teacher discovered cigarette ash in the trash can while using the student restroom. Consequently, he urged the school to install smoke detectors in the teaching building specifically to catch male students who smoke. Dou Xunchu, being new and having a poor reputation, was not informed by anyone. Several times, if he had not run fast, he would have almost been caught.

Xu Xilin stood at the door with a sullen expression, ignoring others, and only directed his words at Wu Tao: "Wu Tao, is this appropriate for you?"

"Who did you transfer from, some fly-by-night school? You look like a complete mess, haven't you learned how to conduct yourself?" Li Bozhi said with a drooping eyelid, "Let's take the trouble to teach him a thing or two."

Fortunately, at that moment, Li Bozhi suddenly spoke from behind: "Is it this kid?"

High school boys fighting have no real skills; the one who is ruthless and willing to go all out will win

Xu Xilin had been pondering until he reached the basketball court, and suddenly remembered that when he ran out from his seat holding the ball, Dou Xun seemed to be absent from his seat. The arriving Lao Cheng tossed his jacket onto the basketball hoop and shouted as he ran over: "Today I can only play for half a class; the answers to this term's little yellow math book haven't been released yet"

As soon as Qilixiang entered the classroom, she was surrounded by several diligent students led by Luo Bing, with one of them holding a physics workbook, spontaneously forming a line to ask questions

Whoever is afraid first, whoever backs down first, will be the one to give up

Seven Mile Fragrance

After a routine relaxation, Dou Xun washed his hands, popped a piece of gum into his mouth, and was about to return to the classroom when he suddenly saw Wu Tao entering with a group of people through the mirror

Li Bozhi: "I f*** your mother"

"The Seven Mile Fragrance has come down the mountain," Xu Xilin said quickly, leaning one hand on her desk. "The people need your protection, class leader; it is time to demonstrate your sense of responsibility as a class officer... Oh my, sister, why does it also involve a hidden scheme? What if it can't be wiped off!"

Then, Li Bozhi, who was walking at the back, pulled something out of his pocket and threw it at the boy's face, hitting him squarely in the nose. The boy let out a whimper and bent down, covering his face.

After finishing, he absentmindedly opened his English textbook, randomly found a page, and joined the large group with a monotonous "buzzing" sound, while contemplating what Wu Tao and the others were planning—because this Dou Xun was just like the spirit of the hanging orchid by the back window of the classroom, as if rooted to the spot, essentially growing in the classroom, unwilling to move easily

The second floor is the comprehensive activity center, the first floor is the music lecture hall, the second floor is the art classroom, and the third floor is the computer room that is locked year-round. From the perspective of the course content, it is evident that the entire building serves as mere decoration, rarely visited throughout the year