C42 – One on One or Group Fight.?
With half an hour left in the morning training session, Instructor Lee, noting the students’ earnest efforts, tasked Wang Xiao with overseeing the training for Traditional Chinese Medicine System Class Four. Then, he slipped away to enjoy a little downtime.
”Instructor Lee sure knows how to make the most of his resources,” Wang Xiao remarked with a wry smile, watching Lee’s nonchalant departure.
Once Lee was out of sight, Wang Xiao, acting as the interim class leader for Traditional Chinese Medicine System Class Four, took over the reins and continued the training. The class stood in neat rows, sweat drenching their faces, yet they all persevered with determination.
”Yao Beier, can you keep going?” Wang Xiao approached her with a playful smile.
“I can keep going,” Yao Beier replied, her petite frame at the front of the formation. Despite the sweat glistening on her delicate face and her body swaying, she spoke through clenched teeth. Underneath her sweet and fragile exterior, she harbored a fierce tenacity.
”Alright, but if you feel you can’t continue, just let me know. I’ll give you permission to take a break,” Wang Xiao offered, still smiling.
His comment, however, set off a chorus of howls from the other students in Traditional Chinese Medicine System Class Four.
“Look at Class Rep Wang, playing favorites and giving Yao Beier the VIP treatment to rest!” one student teased.
“It’s like feeding us dog food—straight up PDA!” another chimed in.
“I wouldn’t mind a bit of that special attention from Principal Wang myself,” a third student joked.
The class was abuzz with playful banter, their teasing glances flitting between Yao Beier and Wang Xiao. It was all in good fun, just a bit of ribbing between classmates.
Yao Beier’s cheeks flushed a deep crimson as the teasing reached her ears. She shyly bowed her head, her heart fluttering with embarrassment.
Had everyone gotten the wrong idea about her and Wang Xiao?
What was she to do?
Should they set the record straight?
What if they don’t believe me?
Yao Beier’s mind was in turmoil, her hands as pale as lotus roots fidgeting aimlessly. Finally, biting her lip, she summoned the courage to assert to Wang Xiao, “Wang Xiao, it’s not necessary. I can keep up with the rest of the students.”
Wang Xiao caught the mix of shyness and defiance on Yao Beier’s face and shot a glare at Soong Ming, Feng Lee, and Lin Hua.
Those three had been the most raucous instigators!
“Hey, is your name Wang Xiao?”
At that moment, a brash voice sounded from behind Wang Xiao.
He raised an eyebrow and turned to see who it was.
A few upperclassmen clad in Taekwondo uniforms approached with swagger, the speaker among them looking particularly thuggish.
“Yes, that’s me. What do you want?”
Wang Xiao’s gaze was cool as he addressed the hooligan.
“Just making sure it’s you. Now, kneel and bow your head three times to our big brother Ting!”
The thug hadn’t even finished speaking when his bespectacled sidekick sneered at Wang Xiao.
Realizing the seniors were looking for trouble, all the students from Traditional Chinese Medicine System Class Four halted their training to rally behind Wang Xiao.
Wang Xiao spoke with an even tone.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Soong Ming and the others stepped forward to stand by Wang Xiao.
Dorm brothers stick together—no way they’d stand by while Wang Xiao was pushed around.
The hesitation was brief among the other boys from Traditional Chinese Medicine System Class Four. Lei Ting’s reputation for strength gave them pause, but ultimately, they rallied behind Wang Xiao.
Lei Ting, upon hearing Wang Xiao, took note of the twenty Class Four boys backing him. With only a handful of his own allies, doubt crept in.
“Wang Xiao, you’ve got numbers on your side—clearly a case of the many against the few. If you’re brave enough, face me one-on-one!”
Lei Ting’s fists were tight as he glared at Wang Xiao, his voice tinged with anger.
“Uh...” Wang Xiao felt a surge of warmth at the sight of Soong Ming and the others behind him, but he turned to Lei Ting with a reassuring smile. “You’ve got it all wrong. They’re not going to step in.”
“Wang Xiao...”
Soong Ming and the rest were taken aback by his words. They were about to object when Wang Xiao gestured for silence.
“This issue is personal, and it’s not appropriate for you to intervene.”
Wang Xiao’s gaze moved across Soong Ming, the other two, and the rest of the boys from his class as he spoke.
“What are you saying, Wang Xiao? Are you implying we’re not your brothers? You expect us to just watch you get bullied by an outsider?”
Soong Ming’s eyes were wide with indignation as he spoke.
“Exactly!” The other boys chimed in, equally upset.
“Hear me out. The reason I don’t want you involved is just one part of it. The other reason is...” Wang Xiao raised his hand to calm the rising tempers.
“If Instructor Lee finds out that I led you into a brawl while he was away, the hard-earned privileges we’ve secured could vanish. You should be thinking not just of yourselves, but also of the female classmates.”
With that, Wang Xiao gestured towards the girls from Class Four.
Upon hearing this, Soong Ming and his peers turned their gaze to the female students who had been training all morning at the Taekwondo dojo, drenched in sweat. If they were to train outside under the scorching sun, heatstroke would be inevitable...
With this thought, the previously outraged boys of Traditional Chinese Medicine System Class Four fell silent. The girls gently bit their lips, seemingly frustrated at their inability to lend a hand.
“Don’t worry, I’m the guy who can take down Instructor Lee,” Wang Xiao reassured them with a smile, noticing the dampened spirits of his classmates.
At Wang Xiao’s confident declaration, a spark of hope ignited in everyone’s eyes.
“Exactly, Wang Xiao is the one who beat Instructor Lee!”
“Thunder and his crew are the ones who should be worried, not us!”
Wang Xiao finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the worry lines on Soong Ming and the others’ faces ease.
“Wang Xiao, if they don’t step in, what are you suggesting? A one-on-one or a brawl?” Lei Ting chimed in, questioning Wang Xiao with a hint of skepticism.
”Do I really need to spell it out for you?” Wang Xiao retorted, turning to face Lei Ting and his Taekwondo lackeys with a shrug. “One-on-one means I’ll take you down individually. As for a brawl, that’s even simpler – you all come at me together!”
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