The Honest Man’s Counterattack 2003

No Words on the Way

The taxi pulled up in front of a high-end residential area, where grand, independent villas stood in neat rows. Bai Jiaxin got out of the car and handed over a small note, her voice soft and sweet. "This is my phone number. Let me know when you get home."

Zhao Feng took the note, waved his hand, and smiled. "I'll call you in a bit. See you tomorrow."

Watching as Bai Jiaxin walked into the residential area, the driver turned the car toward the western suburbs. Zhao Feng remained expressionless, staring at the elegant handwriting on the small piece of paper, his mind drifting as he headed back home.

He hadn't been back in a week, and his mother, Zhou Qingmei, had clearly missed him. She had prepared a large spread of his favorite dishes, waiting for him to come home and eat.

Zhao Changhe asked about his exam results, and Zhao Feng picked up the landline to call Bai Jiaxin.

"Hello, I just got home. This is my home number, you can reach me here if you need anything."

"Got it. I'm eating now. See you tomorrow."

"Bye."

Zhou Qingmei, having untied her apron, leaned over curiously. "A girl?"

Zhao Feng put down the phone, smiling as he caught his mother in the act of eavesdropping. "A boy."

Zhou Qingmei pouted. "It doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl. Just don't contact too much before the exams. Once you're in college, I won't care. You can date whoever you want—boys or girls, your mom's got no opinion."

Zhao Feng took a sip of water, nearly choking, but managed to suppress his laughter. "You're right, Mom. Let's eat."

After dinner, Zhao Feng grabbed the big yellow dog and, in a frenzy, began doing an impromptu foot-tapping dance. The dog struggled to keep up with his awkward rhythm.

Zhao Changhe sat at the door smoking, watching his son with a dazed look, clearly overwhelmed by his energy. With a stern tone, he said, "Spare the dog. It's never learned to dance. Next week, you'll be staying in the dorms, so better head back home."

Zhao Feng released the dog and, in all seriousness, said, "The college entrance exam is coming up soon. Going home now would waste time. I'll stay in the dorms for the final push. Who knows, maybe I can get into a top-tier university."

Zhao Changhe laughed. "Don't talk about aiming for the top. If you can get into a provincial key university, I'll buy you a phone and send you to college."

Zhao Feng replied, "Forget about the phone. I'll buy it myself with my own money."

Zhao Changhe puffed out a cloud of smoke from his black-tipped cigarette and, looking somewhat melancholic, said, "I'm out of cash, but here's a hundred for you."

Zhao Feng waved it off. "No need. I have enough for now."

Zhao Changhe extinguished his cigarette and pulled a fresh, crisp hundred-dollar bill from his pocket, slapping it into Zhao Feng's hand. "Eat more meat at the cafeteria. Don't get malnourished—it'll affect your exam performance."

Zhao Feng's heart warmed as he gripped the note. It felt heavy in his hand. Thinking back to the trajectory of his past life, he knew that after the exams, his father would be laid off and become part of the mass of unemployed workers, losing the stability that came with a steady income.

"Don't worry, Dad. Getting into a provincial key university is practically guaranteed. I'll try my best and shoot for a national key university," Zhao Feng said.

Zhao Changhe chuckled. "When did you start bragging? Just focus on performing normally. Don't set your sights too high and start spouting empty boasts."

He flashed a kind, honest smile, pulling out another cigarette from his pack. After tapping it lightly in his palm, he lit it and continued, "Don't hang out too much with that little fatty next door. He and his dad are too smart for their own good. The smarter they are, the easier they fall into traps. Once they're in, they can't get back up."

"I know, I know. We've been studying together every day. I haven't even stepped out of the school gate."

Zhao Feng secretly shuddered. His father's words hit too close to home. In his past life, Little Fatty had spent all his time playing online games, flunked the college entrance exam, and spiraled downward. His father, too clever for his own good, had gotten caught in a financial trap, and when the factory changed ownership, their family's million-dollar fortune vanished. His father, reckless and greedy, ended up in prison—and never came out.

Zhao Changhe nodded in approval. "Good. Keep studying hard. If you need help, ask Teacher Xiao Guo. She'll take care of you."

Looking up at the starry sky, Zhao Feng smiled but said nothing, spreading his arms wide as if embracing the moon, feeling an extraordinary sense of openness.

Having returned to life, the diploma was no longer important to him—it was just a useless piece of paper. He could throw it away or use it to wipe the toilet, it wouldn't matter.

But.

For the sake of his parents' dream, he still had to give the college entrance exam his all—not for the degree itself, but for his own pride.

To live with pride, like a stick of incense burning for the Buddha.

Not for steamed buns, but to defend his dignity.

This was a fight he had to win.

Trouble in the Bathroom

The next morning.

The sky was clear, the sun shining brightly.

In the bustling schoolyard, Zhao Feng strolled leisurely, heading to the bathroom during class break. After finishing his business, he turned around and spotted three familiar figures, with six hungry eyes glaring at him like wolves who had just found prey.

"Biao Biao Biao Biao... Biao Ge."

Zhao Feng was startled and walked over with concern. "I heard Biao Ge caught a cold and was hospitalized. I was planning to send you a fruit basket, but I didn't expect you to have recovered and been discharged already. That's great news!"

Hou San scowled, fuming with anger. "You're treating Biao Ge like an idiot. We were all in the hospital for seven days, and I didn't see you bring us anything."

Zhao Feng gave a dry laugh. "The exams got in the way. I'll make it up to you later."

Huang Dapiao's face twisted into a snarl. His bald head now had a fuzz of hair, looking like a fuzzy kiwi, as he seethed. "Stop trying to suck up to me. You're the reason we're in this mess. Let's teach him a lesson."

"Pause!" Zhao Feng raised both hands, shouting, "Biao Ge, are you planning on throwing away your diploma? You can't be fighting in the schoolyard. If you want to fight, go ahead, but you try hitting me. I'll go straight to the principal's office."

Huang Dapiao froze, his face turning bright red. He clenched his fists, trembling with fury. "You want to try me? Go ahead!"

Seeing that Huang Dapiao was about to lose control, Hou San and Li You froze in panic. If Huang Dapiao made a move, they, too, would be implicated and could be expelled from school. With no diploma, they'd have no future.

Huang Dapiao came from a wealthy family—his dad was a contractor, and his mom owned a clothing store—so not graduating didn't scare him.

For Hou San and Li You, though, who came from more average backgrounds, without a high school diploma, their future job prospects would be slim.

Graduation was only 20 days away. If Huang Dapiao lost control now, they would have wasted three years of high school.

In the blink of an eye, both Hou San and Li You moved in tandem, each grabbing one of Huang Dapiao's arms, pulling him back as they loudly tried to calm him down.

"Biao Ge, calm down, it's not worth it."

"Graduation's right around the corner. Don't do anything crazy, Biao Ge."

Huang Dapiao's forehead was bulging with veins as he struggled to break free, shouting, "What the hell are you two doing?! Let go of me!"

Zhao Feng raised his hand, patting Huang Dapiao's bald head. "Nice shape, Biao Ge. Looks like you just got out, huh? You don't miss the 'pickled veggies,' do you?"

Huang Dapiao, enraged by the head pat and the mockery, was about to blow his top, but when he saw Zhao Feng slipping away like an eel, he only grew angrier, his face red with fury. "Damn it! There's even an undercover spy around Biao Ge. I'll get you after school!"

As Zhao Feng walked out of the bathroom, Huang Dapiao threw off the two who had been holding him back, cursing under his breath. He turned, fists clenched, chasing after Zhao Feng for another round of punching and kicking. Hou San and Li You, holding their heads, scrambled to escape, sprinting out of the bathroom.

"Unbelievable! Even Biao Ge has undercover agents now! Just wait until school's out!"

Huang Dapiao raged, realizing that Zhao Feng was slippery as a mudfish—no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't catch him. The rare opportunity to confront him in the bathroom had been ruined by Hou San and Li You.

[--------------------------------------------]

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