Howie's face flushed a bright crimson. He knew his grades were trash—anyone with eyes could see that. But instead of admitting defeat, he puffed up like a balloon and shamelessly declared,
"Hey, don't worry about me. Just wait 'til the test tomorrow. If I don't come out on top, I'll eat my socks. Dogs that bark don't bite, right?"
Doug Feng glanced at him, half amused, half exasperated. Seeing Howie argue with Luke Xi on his behalf warmed something in his chest. Say what you will about Howie, but he was a real one. And for that alone, Doug decided that this time, he'd go all in on the placement exam—not for himself, but to give his buddy a big fat slap in the face… metaphorically, of course. Especially aimed at Luke Xi's smug face.
"Oh really?" Luke snorted, arms crossed, clearly not buying it. "You sound so confident, it's almost convincing. Funniest joke I've heard in years. Hey, Linda, did you hear that? Doug says he's gonna be number one. What would you do if that actually happened?"
Doug remained calm and composed, which only made Luke find him more ridiculous. Linda, meanwhile, smiled sweetly as she tilted her head at Doug. A flicker of curiosity danced in her eyes.
"I already said it, didn't I?" she chimed. "If anyone actually manages to beat me, I'd consider being their girlfriend."
With that, she slung her bag over one shoulder and sauntered out of the classroom, leaving a trail of stunned silence behind her.
"Wow! Congrats in advance, Doug!" someone jeered from the back. "Better start planning the wedding, man. Linda's all yours if you top the exam!"
The class burst into laughter.
"Don't listen to them, man. Come on, let's hit the cybercafe. My treat," Howie said, thinking Doug might be pissed off by the mockery.
But as they stepped out of the classroom, Doug turned to him and said seriously, "Howie, you really shouldn't go to the cybercafe anymore. We've got the placement exam tomorrow. It's time to focus."
Howie raised an eyebrow. "Oh, come on, don't start acting all righteous on me. You really think you can take first place? I just need to blow off some steam. That Luke Xi bastard got under my skin today. A few rounds of CS should fix that."
Doug could understand. Of all the people in class, Howie despised Luke Xi the most—and not just because Luke's family was richer and his grades better. It was that condescending, holier-than-thou attitude Luke wore like a badge. Made you want to punch him square in the teeth.
Doug's expression turned thoughtful, then sly.
"Alright. How about a bet?"
"A bet?"
"If I really do get first place," Doug said, "you're not allowed to step foot in a cybercafe or an arcade until after the college entrance exam. And even after that—no traveling out of town. You stay put."
Howie blinked. "Wait, what? That last part—what's that about? No traveling? Bro, I've been planning a trip to check out the girls in other provinces. I'm turning eighteen soon, and I'm still a virgin. It's getting embarrassing, man."
Doug smirked. "You think being a virgin at eighteen is bad? I was one till twenty-four in my last life. Trust me, you'll survive. But if you insist on traveling… you'll die a virgin for real."
Of course, Howie didn't know Doug wasn't just messing around. In his previous life, Howie had gone out of town after the exam and never came back. A car accident ended his life prematurely. Doug had no intention of letting that tragedy repeat itself.
"So? You in or not?"
Howie hesitated for half a second before shrugging. "Fine. I'll take the bet. But if—no, when—you lose, what do you have to do?"
"I'll—"
Doug didn't get to finish.
Suddenly, a whole mob of guys came pouring out of the alleyway nearby, surrounding them in seconds. Doug's eyes narrowed as he scanned the group. The leader?
Lin Yi.
The very same troublemaker who got slapped around by Doug the other day.
"Lin Yi," Doug muttered under his breath.
"Well, well, well…" Lin Yi stepped forward, grinning with all the charm of a rabid hyena. "Thought you could get away with just a school demerit for humiliating me, Doug?"
He motioned for his cronies—dozens of shady-looking teens with neon-dyed hair and smug grins. All street punks by the looks of it.
"I've been generous, but today I'm collecting interest. That slap? I'm paying it back double. Still, I'll give you a choice," Lin Yi sneered. "Crawl through my legs, bark like a dog, and I might let you off easy."
Doug didn't even flinch.
"Crawl your ass," Howie snapped, stepping in front of Doug. "Think you're untouchable 'cause your dad's a deputy mayor? Lay a finger on my buddy and see what happens."
"Oh?" Lin Yi scoffed. "And what's your backup plan, Howie? Gonna sic your dad's half-dead publishing company on me? One word from my old man and your family's license vanishes overnight."
He turned back to Doug and snapped his fingers. "Let's make this quick. You think you're tough? Fine. Let's see how tough you are after you eat some pavement. Crawl and bark, or get wrecked. Your call."
"You heard the man!"
"Think you can disrespect Lin Yi?"
"Dead meat!"
The crowd of punks jeered. Truth was, Lin Yi had pulled strings to gather them—none of them were his real friends. His father's secretary had arranged it. Lin Yi just wanted to scare Doug, not get into real trouble. If his dad found out, he'd be grounded for life.
Doug kept his cool. His beginner-level body enhancement gave him more than enough strength to handle a dozen street thugs—but he couldn't protect Howie and fight at the same time.
So he did the smart thing.
"I'm the one you want. Let my friend go. Whatever you've got planned, I'll deal with it."
"No way," Howie growled. "You kidding me? We've been boys since kindergarten, Doug. I'm not the kind of guy who bails on his brothers."
He dropped his bag and squared his hefty frame between Doug and the punks.
"You want a fight? Then take it out on all two hundred and thirty pounds of me. I won't run. I won't beg. I've got just three words for you: bring it on."
(To be continued…)