Chapter Seven: Snatching a Maiden in Broad Daylight

At this moment, Wang Xin’s face was ashen, as if he wished he could find a place to hide. But that was impossible—Zhou Yishan was watching him intently.

All Wang Xin could do was stare helplessly as Zhou Yishan pried open his hand, finger by finger. Zhou Yishan, for his part, wore a cold, mocking smile, certain he would find the cigarette butt in Wang Xin’s palm.

Yet, to everyone’s surprise, when Zhou Yishan finally forced Wang Xin’s hand open, there was nothing there at all.

“This…”

It wasn’t just Zhou Yishan who was stunned—Wang Xin himself was dumbfounded.

“Hmph…” Zhou Yishan let out a cold snort, flinging Wang Xin’s hand aside and glaring at him. “Where’s the cigarette butt?”

Regaining his composure, Wang Xin put on an air of righteous indignation. “Teacher Zhou, I’m a model student. There’s no cigarette butt here. Perhaps you made a mistake.”

“You…” Zhou Yishan was so choked by Wang Xin’s words that he could not retort.

“Hehe, Teacher Zhou, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going with Yang Wenhao now.” As he spoke, Wang Xin grabbed Yang Wenhao’s arm and strode away.

Zhou Yishan could do nothing to stop them—he hadn’t caught any actual evidence, and if he pressed further without proof, he might find himself at a disadvantage. All he could do was watch, fuming, as these two “rule-breaking” students slipped away right under his nose.

Once they’d escaped Zhou Yishan’s “clutches,” Wang Xin let out a deep breath, looking as if he’d just survived a disaster. “Damn, what was Zhou the Skinflint doing there?”

Yang Wenhao grinned. “If you dare smoke at school, you’d better be prepared to get caught.”

“Yeah, just keep mocking me,” Wang Xin shot him a glare. “But seriously, isn’t it strange my cigarette butt disappeared?”

“Don’t ask me; who do you think I’d ask?” Yang Wenhao shrugged.

Wang Xin eyed him suspiciously. “Yang Wenhao, was it you?”

“Me?” Yang Wenhao shook his head. “You’re overthinking it. I was nowhere near you—how could I have helped? Zhou the Skinflint was watching us the whole time. Come on, we’d better get to class.”

Yang Wenhao dragged him toward the classroom. Although Wang Xin was filled with confusion, he had no clues to go on, so he could only leave the matter for another time.

…

The bell rang for the end of the school day, and Yang Wenhao felt more relaxed than he ever had before. He’d paid attention in every class, and even the problems that once seemed difficult now felt easy.

Walking beside Yang Wenhao, Wang Xin noticed the faint smile on his lips and couldn’t help but say, “Hey, don’t tell me you plan to compete with me for Ms. Leng.”

Yang Wenhao shot him a glance, speechless. “Please, don’t lump me in with your twisted thoughts.”

“Good, just checking.” Wang Xin nodded with satisfaction, then slung an arm around Yang Wenhao’s shoulders. “Let’s go—your buddy’s in high spirits today. I’ll treat you at the usual place.”

By “usual place,” Wang Xin meant the late-night eatery where he and Yang Wenhao had often grabbed snacks together. The place was never crowded, but it was cheap and had everything they wanted.

“Uncle Liu, bring us a case of beer and the usual food!” Wang Xin shouted the moment they reached the door.

Luckily, Uncle Liu, the owner, knew them well. Otherwise, he’d probably have thrown Wang Xin out on the spot.

Uncle Liu was a man in his forties with a perpetually greasy face. As soon as he saw Yang Wenhao and Wang Xin, he broke into a wide grin.

Wang Xin and Yang Wenhao chose a table and sat down. Soon Uncle Liu brought over their drinks, along with some sunflower seeds and peanuts.

“Hey, Rat, what are you looking at?” Wang Xin suddenly leaned in.

Yang Wenhao pushed him away, looking annoyed. “We agreed—no nicknames.”

“Hehe, I’m just happy, couldn’t help myself,” Wang Xin shrugged. “Anyway, what are you looking at?”

Yang Wenhao said, “Want to watch some action?”

The moment he heard that, Wang Xin’s eyes lit up with interest. “Where? Where’s the show?”

“Over there.” Yang Wenhao nodded toward a table about four or five meters away.

“Hey, that girl’s got a great figure from behind,” Wang Xin said, craning his neck. “I wonder what her face looks like.”

Yang Wenhao rolled his eyes. “I mean the table next to her.”

“Sorry, instinct just took over.” Wang Xin grinned sheepishly. “The next table… hmm, just four or five guys. Looks like nothing special. What’s there to see?”

Wang Xin was a bit disappointed. To him, it just looked like a group of friends out for dinner—hardly anything exciting.

Yang Wenhao narrowed his eyes. “Just watch. The show’s about to start.”

Just then, Uncle Liu came over with their food. Wang Xin grabbed him and asked, “Uncle Liu, do you know those guys?”

Uncle Liu glanced over, then shook his head. “You know this place is off the beaten path. Most of my customers are regulars—I’ve never seen those guys before.”

After Uncle Liu left, Wang Xin kept his eyes fixed on the direction Yang Wenhao had indicated.

Just as Wang Xin was getting bored and about to turn around to chat with Yang Wenhao, a sudden scream rang out.

“Help!”

Wang Xin looked over and saw that the men Yang Wenhao had pointed out earlier had suddenly leapt up and grabbed the beautiful girl whose back had caught their attention.

“Let me go! Let me go!” No matter how hard she struggled, she was no match for several men at once.

“Damn, they’re kidnapping a girl in broad daylight!” Wang Xin was stunned. What had the world come to—was there no law left?

“What’s going on?” Uncle Liu, hearing the commotion, rushed out and saw the men abducting the woman.

A kidnapping in progress—the other customers just stared, too frightened to intervene. Some even pulled out their phones to record, but none dared step forward to help.

Regardless of whether anyone else would act, Uncle Liu was the first to rush in.

“Get lost! You’d better stay out of this, or you can kiss your shop goodbye,” one of the men barked coldly as Uncle Liu approached.

Uncle Liu froze mid-step.

Seeing their warning had worked, the men exchanged smug glances.

But Uncle Liu’s next move quickly shattered their confidence. He simply couldn’t stand by and watch someone get kidnapped right in front of him—no matter what, he had to intervene.

“If you refuse a toast, you’ll have to drink the hard way,” sneered the man who seemed to be the leader, his eyes cold as he shouted to another, “Old Four, take care of him—don’t make a fuss.”

“Got it, Boss.” Old Four grinned and strode toward Uncle Liu.