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墨書 Inktalez
This might be the moment of choice for Lu Xiangyang, and it is also my moment of choice. However, my choice is based on Lu Xiangyang's decision. His actions not only affect the boy's future but also his own life ahead; everything hinges on what Lu Xiangyang does.
The middle school students had completely surrounded the boy, and from where we stood, we could not see the bullied boy, only the backs of several middle schoolers. I looked at Lu Xiangyang, who hesitated for a brief moment before cursing loudly and charging over.
I smiled; it seemed Lu Xiangyang had made a choice that satisfied me. He shouted as he rushed in, and although the middle schoolers were shorter than him, their numbers were overwhelming. If a fight broke out, it was uncertain whether Lu Xiangyang would gain any advantage.
Despite Lu Xiangyang's high intelligence and his ability to use cunning tactics, when it came to physical confrontations, he wouldn't have the upper hand. Yet, he still charged in, only to be surrounded again in an instant.
The blonde-haired boy laughed heartily and said, "Haha, this is hilarious! Is he your dad? He dares to come back? Damn, are you kidding me?"
Though just a middle schooler, he spoke with confidence and bravado.
Lu Xiangyang must have known that if a fight broke out, he wouldn't benefit from it. He glanced around, hoping to see if anyone was nearby. However, most people were napping at that time, and there wasn't a soul passing by on this road outside the school. The crowd surrounding them couldn't see me or Zhao Mingkun; at that moment, only Lu Xiangyang stood alone.
As they prepared to strike, Lu Xiangyang shouted, "Don't hit him! This is my brother. How about this: let my brother go back to get some money, and I'll wait here for him to return?"
"Get lost!" the blonde boy yelled back. "Do you think we're just students? He’s the only child in his family! Stop talking nonsense and hit him! If you let him escape again, how am I supposed to maintain my reputation as the leader of Eighth Grade at No. 2 Middle School?"
Hearing the blonde boy's words, the other middle schoolers surged forward all at once, fists and feet flying. Although we couldn't see exactly what was happening inside the circle, the occasional curses and the sound of fists hitting flesh made it clear that these middle schoolers were indeed ruthless.
At around fourteen or fifteen years old—an age when one's worldview is forming and hormones are surging—these middle schoolers often had no boundaries when it came to fighting. The likelihood of serious injuries or even fatalities at this age was notably higher.
I had always despised bullying in schools. When I was younger and without parents, many kids picked on me because I was weaker than them. However, I learned something: those who are physically weaker must be sharper in strategy.
Worried about potential consequences if this dragged on too long, I noticed Zhao Mingkun had already started walking toward the middle schoolers.
I followed closely beside Zhao Mingkun as he walked leisurely, seemingly unfazed by my urgency. Noticing my anxiety, he said calmly, "It won't take long; no one will die. But these kids really need to learn how to control their strength."
"Exactly," I nodded in agreement. "I'm just afraid that after we leave, these middle schoolers will revert to their old ways. We can help him for a moment now, but later they might be even harsher."
Zhao Mingkun turned back with a charming smile and replied lightly, "That's why we need to teach these kids a good lesson."
Zhao Mingkun smiled brightly, yet I couldn't shake off a chilling feeling.
In the midst of our conversation, we had already arrived beside the middle school students. They were gathered in a circle, beating two individuals. Suddenly, I recalled how not long ago, Lu Xiangyang had been surrounded and beaten by members of a pyramid scheme. Little did I expect that on Lu Xiangyang's eighteenth birthday, he would receive such a "gift" again.
I was about to shout out, but the next moment rendered me speechless.
Zhao Mingkun and I approached from behind the middle school students, who had yet to notice us. Among them, Zhao Mingkun quickly spotted the blond-haired leader. Without hesitation, she kicked him in the back, sending him flying into another middle school student across from him.
The sudden turn of events left the group dumbfounded. Upon realizing we were two adults, they hesitated, unsure of what to do, even the blond-haired boy didn't dare to help his friend. Finally, we could see the condition of the two individuals lying on the ground.
From their appearance, both were covered in footprints, but it seemed they were used to being beaten. The way they curled up and protected their heads allowed them to withstand most attacks. At this moment, they began to react and peek at the situation outside.
The blond-haired boy groaned as he stood up, holding his waist. As he got up, he shouted, "Damn it! Who's that? Who's so bold?"
Turning around, he saw me and Zhao Mingkun.
His face flushed with anger and embarrassment as he pointed at me. "So it's you! Who are you to meddle in my business?"
With that, he stepped forward to confront us.
Having grown accustomed to being a leader, he showed no fear facing two adults much taller than him; instead, he seemed ready to fight us. But before I could react, Zhao Mingkun grabbed the collar of the blond-haired boy with one hand and swiftly slapped him multiple times before he could even comprehend what was happening.
The sound of each slap echoed loudly in the street, leaving the blond boy dazed. I watched as blood streamed from his nose like a waterfall. In instinctive panic, he began to struggle. But just then, Zhao Mingkun revealed a spring knife that had somehow appeared in her hand and pressed it against his stomach, causing him to freeze in place.
The middle school students had never witnessed such a woman before; they stood there in shock, unable to even think about fleeing.
With a light smile, Zhao Mingkun said, "Slap yourself until you've done it a hundred times; otherwise, you know what will happen."
"I don't believe it!" The blond boy's eyes turned red with fury.
In the next moment, he began to slap his own face frantically. The spring knife wielded by Zhao Mingkun had lightly pierced his body, and he finally understood that the crazy woman in front of him was capable of such an act.
Everyone present was stunned, including both the victim and the aggressor, and of course, me as well. I hadn’t expected Zhao Mingkun to be so ruthless all of a sudden. I could see that the sweeter her smile, the harsher her methods became.
The scene fell into silence, broken only by the sound of Huang Mao slapping himself. Some middle school students were genuinely frightened and wanted to flee. But Zhao Mingkun calmly said, "Let me tell you, if anyone dares to run, your fate will be worse than your big brother's."
No one dared to run.
"Line up!" Zhao Mingkun waved the spring knife in her hand and said, "Be sensible. Just like your big brother, slap yourselves until you’ve done it a hundred times before you can stop."
One person started, then another; under Zhao Mingkun's authority, they began to slap their own faces.
"Keep the rhythm; don’t be all over the place!" Zhao Mingkun added.
A bizarre scene unfolded on the street as a line of middle school students slapped their faces in surprisingly rhythmic unison. If it weren't for the blood on Huang Mao's face and body, one might think a band had formed using human bodies as instruments. The rhythm gradually synchronized, and their movements became surprisingly coordinated. I was witnessing Zhao Mingkun's methods firsthand.
After I tugged at Zhao Mingkun's arm for the third time, signaling that it was enough, she finally allowed everyone to stop. She grabbed Huang Mao by the hair and said with a twisted expression, "If I hear again that someone is bullying my brother, it won’t just be your head on the line."
With that, Zhao Mingkun sliced through Huang Mao's bangs with a swift motion.
"Stand still!" Zhao Mingkun commanded, then kicked each of them one by one, sending them tumbling over themselves as they scrambled away.
Lu Xiangyang and the boy had already gotten up, both looking dumbfounded. After thanking Lu Xiangyang, the boy seemed reluctant to stay any longer and hurried to leave. At that moment, Lu Xiangyang stopped him and said, "You dropped a hundred bucks when they were hitting us; here it is."
The boy’s eyes lit up. "Really? That’s great! Now I won’t have to go hungry."
"Yeah." Lu Xiangyang glanced at the boy and then at Zhao Mingkun. "I guess they won’t dare bully you anymore. And don’t follow them to bully others, alright?"
"Okay." The boy nodded and dashed off in a hurry.
I noticed a detail: Lu Xiangyang took the money from the inner pocket of his jacket, which meant that this hundred yuan definitely wasn’t dropped by the boy with the yellow hair; it was Lu Xiangyang giving his own money to the boy. A hundred yuan might not be much for Lu Xiangyang.
I looked at Lu Xiangyang and said, "You’re quite chivalrous, aren’t you?"
Lu Xiangyang seemed a bit helpless and replied, "This is the second time you’ve saved me. Also, this officer really doesn’t play by the rules; he’s too handsome. But isn’t this just using violence to counter violence?"
Zhao Mingkun glanced at Lu Xiangyang and said, "Using violence to counter violence is a last resort. Just look at that boy; you can tell he’s been bullied for a long time. He might have talked to his parents or teachers before, but no one paid attention. And using violence is the quickest and most effective way to deal with it, you understand?"
After a pause, Zhao Mingkun continued, "If we don’t take action now, we either need to scare them all at once or not act at all. If we don’t hit hard, they will definitely retaliate against that boy once we leave."
I shook my head helplessly and sighed, "But in our country, how many instances of school bullying are dismissed as normal roughhousing by schools and teachers who want to keep the peace? How many parents watch their bullied children cry without seeing the perpetrators receive any punishment? There’s still so much work to be done in this regard in our country."
Since both Zhao Mingkun and I had lost our parents and had been bullied during our youth, perhaps we felt both angered and helpless about such matters. We faced it with strength, but how many bullied children develop psychological issues because of it? How many have committed suicide because of it?
"Indeed, there’s still a lot," Zhao Mingkun said as he looked at me calmly. "Maybe helping one is better than none."
I glanced at Lu Xiangyang and pondered for a moment before saying, "Next time something like this happens, don’t expect us to save you."
"I’ll be able to save people myself; you won’t need to help," Lu Xiangyang replied.
I nodded and said, "Alright then. Adults should be happy; we’ll take our leave now."
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