The Honest Man’s Counterattack 2003

The classroom echoed with the sound of Hou San sobbing. The other students turned to look, but no one said a word, their schadenfreude written all over their faces. Hou San was the class troublemaker; no one felt sorry for him, even if he cried his heart out.

Noticing that Red-Crowned Crane had left the classroom during the break, Zhao Feng lit a cigarette and casually sat in the seat in front of hers. Fixing his gaze on her deskmate—a buzz-cut boy with a sturdy build—he exhaled a puff of smoke.

Caught off guard, the buzz-cut boy immediately started coughing, waving his hand to clear the smoky air. "Zhao Feng! You're smoking in the classroom? Aren't you afraid someone will report you to the teacher?"

Zhao Feng smirked. "Feel free to report me—as long as you can handle a beating afterward."

The boy's face darkened. He realized that Zhao Feng, once the most mild-mannered senior in the grade, had transformed into someone entirely different. These days, Zhao Feng made a habit of beating up Hou San to the point of tears and didn't seem to care about teachers. His audacity was shocking.

"I didn't do anything to you. What do you want?"

The surrounding students turned their attention to the brewing conflict between Zhao Feng and the buzz-cut boy, their faces full of curiosity. In their memories, Zhao Feng had always been kind, honest, and helpful—a boy with a heart of gold who was so naive he was almost endearingly stupid.

It was impossible to imagine him bullying anyone; if anything, he was always the one being bullied.

But no one doubted that the buzz-cut boy, Qian Dapeng, had a history of picking on quiet, honest kids.

Zhao Feng pointed at the boy and asked, "Kid, what's your name?"

Qian Dapeng's face turned black with frustration. "I'm Qian Dapeng. What do you want from me?"

Zhao Feng, still calm, spun the dented metal pencil case in his hand and said coldly, "You have two choices: switch seats with me, or fight me. Let's see if your head is as hard as Hou San's."

Qian Dapeng's eyes widened as his face flickered between anger and hesitation. Internally, he wrestled with the situation. Zhao Feng had set his sights on his seat, and while Qian Dapeng prided himself on his strength, he didn't think he could beat Hou San in a one-on-one fight—and Zhao Feng had managed to crush Hou San three times.

Weighing their respective combat abilities and explosiveness, Qian Dapeng reluctantly admitted to himself that he was no match for Zhao Feng.

Still, he didn't want to give up his seat. Being Red-Crowned Crane's deskmate came with perks—namely, having a top-three-ranked academic goddess next to him. If he didn't understand something, he could ask her at any time, which was far more convenient than going to the teacher.

Clearly, Zhao Feng's sudden aggression was aimed at getting closer to Red-Crowned Crane. Qian Dapeng wasn't about to let that happen so easily.

"I'm not switching seats! If you've got the guts, hit me. Let's see if I report you to the teacher…"

Before he could finish his sentence, a large hand slammed down on his head, pinning it to the desk. Zhao Feng raised the metal pencil case high, ready to strike.

"I'll ask you one more time: are you switching or not?"

Zhao Feng's voice was as cold as a blade, cutting into Qian Dapeng's ears.

Qian Dapeng clenched his eyes shut, his face twisting in fear. Trembling, he cried out, "Let go! I'll switch! I'll switch!"

Zhao Feng released him and said coldly, "Pack your things. Take your desk and chair, and get out. Now."

Sweating profusely and pale-faced, Qian Dapeng finally understood what Hou San had gone through. This guy was insane. When an honest man turned vicious, it was worse than dealing with a troublemaker.

The entire class had witnessed the scene. They watched as Zhao Feng's dominant side emerged, forcing Qian Dapeng, the school's basketball powerhouse, to surrender his seat without a fight.

The male students were filled with envy and resentment. Many had dreamed of becoming Red-Crowned Crane's deskmate. She was not only a stunning beauty but also a top student who could answer any academic question with ease. Asking her would be far less intimidating than approaching a teacher.

But Qian Dapeng was a well-known tough guy—not someone you could easily mess with.

Zhao Feng, however, had the boldness to not only think it but act on it. Now, with the help of a brilliant academic deskmate, his chances of acing the college entrance exams had just skyrocketed.

At that moment, the class president, Zhu Yiqun, approached.

Tall and well-built at 1.8 meters, Zhu Yiqun had a clean-cut appearance, complete with silver-rimmed glasses. His tone was stern as he said, "Zhao Feng, bullying your classmates isn't right."

Zhu Yiqun had been the class president for three years, known for being smooth-talking, opportunistic, and shameless in his pursuit of power. Rumor had it that he had gifted Teacher Guo a lavish present to secure his position, even ousting the school's most popular girl, Bai Jiaxin, from the running.

Though Bai Jiaxin's prestigious family background made her indifferent to the title, Zhu Yiqun's underhanded tactics still earned him the disdain of his peers.

Despite his polished exterior, Zhu Yiqun was a sycophant who bullied the weak and feared the strong. Seeing Zhao Feng take Red-Crowned Crane's seat filled him with jealousy.

"Class rep, mind your own business," Zhao Feng replied coldly. "I just switched seats. I didn't fight or disrupt anyone. It's not like I'm affecting anyone's studies."

After a brief pause, Zhu Yiqun said, "Still, smoking in the classroom is bad for the air. If it happens again, I'll report you to the teacher. Switching seats also requires the teacher's approval."

Zhao Feng waved him off with a smirk. "Thanks for the reminder. But didn't the teacher say we can switch seats voluntarily if both parties agree? Qian Dapeng, you switched seats voluntarily, right?"

Under Zhao Feng's icy glare, Qian Dapeng, drenched in sweat, quickly nodded. "Yes, I switched voluntarily!"

Zhu Yiqun glanced at Qian Dapeng with disdain. "No wonder you lost your seat. Pathetic," he muttered before turning and leaving, visibly annoyed.

Bai Jiaxin had been observing the entire scene. When Zhao Feng first approached, she had guessed his intentions. Qian Dapeng wasn't exactly a pushover, but she hadn't expected Zhao Feng to act so decisively, scaring off Qian Dapeng and brushing aside Zhu Yiqun with ease.

"Did you see that?" Su Yin whispered. "Zhao Feng's gone rogue. He's not the same honest guy anymore—it's terrifying."

Bai Jiaxin smiled faintly and nodded. "Opportunities come to those who fight for them. Zhao Feng was bold enough to go for it. Now that he's Red-Crowned Crane's deskmate, his grades will definitely improve. As for Qian Dapeng, he's a coward who got what he deserved."

Su Yin added, "I heard Zhao Feng reported Huang Dabiao to the principal, which got Huang caught and punished with a shaved head and a demerit. One more incident, and he'll be expelled. But Huang Dabiao is vengeful—Zhao Feng might be in serious trouble."

Bai Jiaxin chuckled. "Not necessarily. When honest people snap, they're even scarier than the bullies."

The desk swap was completed quickly. Zhao Feng moved to the fourth row—not too close and not too far—while Qian Dapeng was relegated to the back of the class, now sitting in front of Hou San.

As the bell rang for the next class, the students filed back into the room. Red-Crowned Crane, with her signature braided pigtails, returned to her seat alone.

"Hey, beautiful. Looks like we're deskmates now. Let's get along!"

Hearing a magnetic and confident voice, Red-Crowned Crane turned in surprise to see Zhao Feng's sharp and handsome profile.

In a hushed voice, she exclaimed, "Zhao Feng?! What are you doing here? Where's my deskmate?"

Zhao Feng grinned mischievously. "Qian Dapeng decided to quit studying and move to the back to hang out with Hou San. I'm your new deskmate now!"

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