Chapter 29: How a True School Bully is Forged

On the way back, the boys were extremely excited.

Tuodang was prancing around Fang Xinghe like a wild monkey. "Boss, why do I feel like you're even better at putting on a show than before?"

"Damn it!" Yu Xiaoduo kicked out. "That’s what we call being cool!"

"Right, right! Cooler than Chen Haonan, man! The two of you are like the dynamic duo of the underworld!"

"Damn, I couldn't even dream this up..."

This display of a top-tier boss handling a tricky situation with such nonchalance filled them with an indescribable sense of admiration and awe.

Da Diao sighed with deep regret: "Damn it, I was too slow. Next time something like this happens, you have to let me handle it!"

"You can't," Fang Xinghe glanced at him.

The boy was unconvinced: "Why not? I could beat him to death!"

Fang Xinghe shook his head slowly: "That’s exactly why you can’t. You’re reckless, but Heizi actually has a sense of proportion."

"Oh! So that's how it is..."

The mischievous kids finally realized that their boss only wanted to scare the reporter, not actually do anything to him. They were completely won over, and the girls looked at Fang Xinghe with shimmering eyes.

*Big brother, we’re old enough now, don't you want to date one of us?*

As soon as they reached the crossroads, Fang Xinghe shooed them home. A bunch of sprouts, always thinking about nonsense; he had enough to worry about without them.

"Hurry home and do your homework, don't force me to slap you!"

"Then I won't do it! Go ahead and slap me!"

"..."

Fang Xinghe realized he really couldn't handle them, so he had no choice but to drop the trump card.

"Tuodang, go!"

When Tuodang lunged forward with a weird cackle, the little "mother hawks" shrieked and scattered in all directions: "Mommy!"

Very good. The world was finally quiet.

...

Just as Fang Xinghe had judged, the minor episode caused no negative consequences because Heizi was smart, and because the reporter from the Beijing Youth Daily was a complete coward.

Before getting home, Fang Xinghe specifically called Wang Yali to tell her about the incident.

"Stay put. Let me ask Chunhua, and then I'll get back to you."

Wang Yali was very nervous and immediately contacted her friend. Shortly after, she called Fang Xinghe back, her tone much more relaxed.

"Don't pay any attention to him. He’s just an idiot who thinks he can climb the ladder because he has a little background. Just leave the rest to us; Chunhua can handle him."

"Hm," Fang Xinghe replied nonchalantly. "Then I'm going back to prepare for my exams."

"Wait!" Wang Yali was surprised. "So many people are criticizing you, aren't you worried at all? If you want to respond, Chunhua can go over at any time."

Fang Xinghe curled his lips: "I’m only afraid they aren’t criticizing me harshly enough. As for a response... what’s the point of a war of words right now?"

"Then what are you waiting for? Results?"

"Yes."

Wang Yali was even more astonished: "You seem very confident in your test scores?"

"A little, I suppose."

"What’s the total score for the high school entrance exam there? How much can you score now?"

Fang Xinghe thought about the last test and replied uncertainly: "The total is 615. Last time, excluding PE, I scored 584. With 20-plus days left, I should be able to improve a bit more."

Unlike his peers, his study methods were mature and efficient, and he was focused, so his strength grew every day.

"Wow..." Wang Yali sighed, finding Fang Xinghe truly magical. "Geniuses are really different. You’ve only been studying for half a year, right? Are middle school subjects really that simple?"

"They are quite simple, but the most important thing is willpower."

Wang Yali ignored that and continued to praise him: "Everyone knows the theory, but the difference is whether you can actually do it."

Fang Xinghe felt a bit ashamed and gave a self-deprecating smile. In his previous life, he had been fickle and impatient while in high school. It was only later, when he was struggling to survive, that he forged a strong will—enduring excruciating pain while trolling people online without changing his expression; who wouldn't call that impressive?

After his rebirth, that nightmare had actually turned into a variety of gifts. Life was truly mysterious.

"To achieve anything, one must pay a price."

The boy's lament once again stirred Wang Yali's sympathy, so she didn't try to comfort him anymore. Fang Xinghe didn't need it either.

"You're busy, don't worry about me. That's all."

Ending the conversation, the boy strolled home.

And before he could even rest for a day, the *Southern Metropolis Daily* published its latest report with a particularly sensational headline:

*"Fang Xinghe: How a True School Bully is Forged"*

Old Fang finished his lecture with a sullen face, called him to the office, slammed the newspaper down, and pounded the desk.

"This is outrageous! Reporters these days are truly shameless!"

Fang Xinghe flipped through the article, teasing him: "Did they fax this over? I reckon he hasn't left yet. Do you want me to find him and give him a lesson to vent your frustration?"

"That won't be necessary," Old Fang immediately backtracked. "Actually, I'm not that angry..."

Despite saying he wasn't angry, he looked at him with frustration: "When can you change that stubborn temper of yours? Why did you have to go and scare them? Are you happy now?"

"It is quite good," Fang Xinghe grabbed the newspaper and turned to leave. "I'm taking this. Let everyone have a laugh."

When he returned to the classroom, many had already heard the news and were scrambling to see the paper, wanting to know how the "bad guys from the outside" were insulting the handsome Fang.

There wasn't anything actually new; everyone knew the content. But for those outside who only knew Fang Xinghe through snippets, it was fresh news.

So fresh it caused an uproar. Just look at the opening 300 golden words:

"I originally thought Fang Xinghe's claim of being a 'school boss' in his essay was just a humorous writing device, but when I arrived at Nong'an No. 3 Middle School with intense curiosity, what I unlocked was a real-life 'campus underworld'..."

Doesn't that build suspense immediately?

The subsequent interview responses didn't disappoint them either:

"Fang Xinghe is the most powerful person in our school."
"He fights viciously!"
"He isn't alone; he has many followers, nicknamed the Thirteen Hawks, and he’s the boss."
"I'm not close to them, I usually walk around them."
"Right, he has a bad temper and often gets into fights, and I heard he dared to fight third-years when he was in seventh grade."
"Everyone in school knows him; he’s handsome and fights hard. So many girls in our class like him... How does it feel? Envy, obviously!"
"Scared? Not really. Fang Xinghe never bullies good students. If we get bullied, he always helps us out."
"Right, right! It’s always the upperclassmen who bully us first!"
"His essays are amazing. Our whole class reads them as model compositions. I think his writing is super cool, he’s really tough!"
"I don't like him, he's too barbaric."
"I like him a lot; he’s talented in both literature and martial arts."
"I dislike him; that group of bad students always makes the campus messy."
"I admire him! When he stands there, everyone looks at him first!"
"I feel sorry for him? He wasn't like this in elementary school. His family situation changed suddenly, so he had to change."
"I don't know, we live in two different worlds."

The reporter concluded: "Of the six interviewees, everyone had different feelings about Fang Xinghe—admiration, envy, fear, and protection. In their words, Fang Xinghe is a special existence who is both a protector and a tyrant, the most popular and eye-catching star on campus, and a scorching flame that is hard to approach.

"In my personal view, his image is even more complex. The reporter from the Beijing Youth Daily who arrived with me, Xiao Li, almost suffered a huge disaster due to his own recklessness..."

A simple, minute-long conflict was rendered like a Hollywood blockbuster under his skillful pen.

And his closing statement was even more interesting:

"What we see in Fang Xinghe is a snapshot of an unconventional era. His unfortunate life is like an apple that has been bitten into; the rot and decay came too early and too fast. No child can digest that easily.

"Unlike most, he chose a reactive, aggressive response, turning all external harm into highly offensive retaliation. Against anyone, against anything.

"This is not his fault, but he is undeniably radiating those extreme and unhelpful things, using his naturally handsome appearance and his highly inflammatory writing to exert a strong, infectious influence on the youth of this era.

"Fang Xinghe is not the 'civilized' observer he writes about; he is already deeply trapped within it. I feel sad for him.

"Perhaps we are witnessing the final, brilliant flare of a genius youth."

The article was written beautifully.

It profited from the misfortune of Fang Xinghe’s status as an orphan while seemingly objectively nailing him to the cross as a "destroyer of middle school order."

As for the judgment... that was for the readers to decide.