6: Why don't you laugh when I hit you?

Lin Fan's voice wasn't loud, but it pierced Xiao Zhan's ears like an icicle.

Xiao Zhan's whole body trembled.

His left cheek burned with pain, and his mouth was filled with the taste of blood.

He raised his head and looked at Lin Fan's calm face against the backlight.

There was no anger in those eyes, no hatred.

There was only a kind of... indifference that made his marrow turn cold.

Like looking at a dog.

“Brother Fan...”

Xiao Zhan's lips quivered, and his voice became a bit louder:

“You... You are strong.”

Lin Fan nodded: “Keep going.”

“Say... Say what?”

“Say you were wrong.”

Lin Fan leaned down, getting closer to him. “Say you shouldn't have bullied me these past three years. Say you won't dare to do it again. Say you regret it now.”

Every word felt like a whip lashing against Xiao Zhan's heart.

Humiliation.

An unprecedented humiliation.

But he didn't dare to resist.

That palm strike from earlier had completely shattered all of his confidence.

“I... I was wrong.” Xiao Zhan closed his eyes, his voice dry. “I shouldn't have bullied you. I won't dare to do it again. I... I regret it.”

“Open your eyes,” Lin Fan said.

Xiao Zhan opened his eyes.

“Look at me when you say it.”

Xiao Zhan looked at Lin Fan.

He looked into those calm eyes.

“I was wrong,” he repeated, his voice clearer this time. “I shouldn't have bullied you. I won't dare to do it again. I regret it.”

Lin Fan stood up straight.

The setting sun cast his shadow over Xiao Zhan.

“Just saying it is useless.”

He raised his right hand, fingers spread wide:

“In these three years, you slapped me eighty-one times.”

“Today, I'll collect a bit of interest first.”

*Slap!*

Another slap landed on Xiao Zhan's right cheek.

Now they were symmetrical.

“This one is the interest.”

Lin Fan withdrew his hand, looking at Xiao Zhan's face, which had swollen like a pig's head.

“The rest, I'll keep on tab for now.”

“Whenever I'm in a bad mood in the future, I'll come collect a bit.”

Xiao Zhan lowered his head, not daring to make a sound.

Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth onto the gravel.

“Listen.”

Lin Fan's voice turned cold:

“Don't look at me with those eyes ever again.”

“And don't even think about any crooked schemes.”

He paused, emphasizing every word:

“If I find out that you or the Xiao Family are pulling any more little tricks...”

“I wouldn't mind letting the Xiao Family...”

“...have a new successor.”

Those last few words were spoken nonchalantly.

Yet they felt like a heavy hammer smashing into Xiao Zhan's heart!

He jerked his head up, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints!

Change the successor?

Lin Fan... how could he dare?!

But looking into Lin Fan's eyes, Xiao Zhan suddenly realized!

He dared.

He really dared.

“Do you understand?” Lin Fan asked.

“...Understood.” Xiao Zhan's voice was hoarse.

“Louder.”

“Understood!”

“Mhm.” Lin Fan nodded and turned around. “Now beat it.”

As if granted a grand amnesty, Xiao Zhan struggled to crawl up.

But his bones felt like they were falling apart; he tried twice and failed both times.

Lin Fan looked back and glanced at him:

“I told you to roll.”

“Don't you understand human speech?”

Xiao Zhan froze.

Immediately, the color drained from his face.

He understood.

When Lin Fan said 'roll', he meant... literally roll.

“Lin Fan... you...”

“Hmm?”

Lin Fan swept a glance over.

The rest of Xiao Zhan's words were choked back down.

He looked at Lin Fan.

He looked at that calm face.

He looked at those indifferent eyes.

Finally... he bit his teeth.

He flipped over.

He really started to roll away.

The gravel ground against his wounds; every rotation was a piercing pain.

But he didn't dare to stop.

He rolled all the way out of the small woods.

He rolled onto the stone path.

He rolled until he was out of Lin Fan's sight.

Only then did he struggle to climb up and limp away into the sunset... out of the small woods.

Lin Fan stood where he was, watching the direction where Xiao Zhan had disappeared.

He rubbed his chin.

【Ding!】

【Defeated four opponents in a crushing manner! prestige value +400!】

【Deterred Xiao Zhan with absolute power! prestige value +300!】

【Forced an opponent to self-humiliate in public! prestige value +500!】

【Left a deterrent warning! prestige value +200!】

【Current prestige value: 6050 points!】

【Achievement unlocked: Campus Overlord!】

【Reward: Intermediate Gacha Ticket ×1!】

The System notifications rang cheerfully in his mind.

But Lin Fan wasn't thinking about that.

He was thinking about the way Xiao Zhan rolled away just now.

He thought about that face swollen like a pig's head.

He thought about those eyes filled with humiliation and fear.

“He who humiliates others will be humiliated by others!”

“Xiao Zhan, I have plenty of time to play with you.”

“You better stay strong; don't accidentally get played to death by me...”

The next day.

Yuncheng Third High School, Senior Year teaching building.

Morning self-study had just ended, and the hallway was packed with students.

Xiao Zhan arrived.

He was wearing a face mask and sunglasses, with his hat pulled down very low.

But his walking posture was still a bit awkward.

That fall yesterday had caused no small amount of injury.

A few sharp-eyed students recognized him and started pointing and whispering.

“Look, it's Xiao Zhan...”

“I heard he was beaten up by Lin Fan yesterday?”

“More than just beaten, I heard he even knelt down...”

“For real? Isn't Xiao Zhan supposed to be pretty badass?”

“Badass my ass! In front of Lin Fan, he's just a little brother!”

The discussions weren't loud, but they were clear enough.

Xiao Zhan lowered his head and quickened his pace.

Right now, he only wanted to get into the classroom quickly to avoid those gazes.

But just then.

“Xiao Zhan.”

A calm voice came from the other end of the hallway.

It wasn't loud.

But in the noisy hallway, it reached everyone's ears clearly.

All sound vanished instantly.

Everyone turned their heads at the same time.

They looked toward the source of the voice.

Lin Fan.

He was carrying an old backpack, standing at the end of the hallway.

Looking at Xiao Zhan.

“Tsk tsk tsk... come here.”

Lin Fan beckoned with his hand.

Like he was calling a dog.

Xiao Zhan's entire body stiffened.

Underneath the mask, his face instantly lost all color.

He stood in place, unmoving.

“Did you fucking hear me tell you to come over?”

Lin Fan said it again.

But this time, it carried a hint of impatience.

The hallway was deathly silent.

Everyone was watching.

Watching to see what Xiao Zhan would do.

Xiao Zhan clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms.

Humiliation.

An unprecedented humiliation.

But he didn't dare not to move.

That palm strike from yesterday had completely shattered his courage.

He slowly turned around.

Step by step, he walked toward Lin Fan.

His steps were as heavy as if they were filled with lead.

A distance of a dozen meters took him nearly a minute to walk.

Finally, he arrived in front of Lin Fan.

He lowered his head, not daring to look into Lin Fan's eyes.

“Brother... Brother Fan.” His voice was dry. “Is there something?”

Lin Fan didn't speak.

He just looked at him.

He looked for a full ten seconds.

Then, he raised his hand.

*Slap!*

A slap landed on Xiao Zhan's left cheek.

His mask was knocked askew.

Revealing the bruised and swollen face underneath.

“This one is the spare change from yesterday's interest.”

Lin Fan said.

Xiao Zhan lowered his head, his whole body shaking.

But he didn't dare to move.

“Look up,” Lin Fan said.

Xiao Zhan slowly raised his head.

“Look at me.”

Xiao Zhan looked at Lin Fan.

He looked into those eyes that were terrifyingly calm.

“Do you know why I hit you?” Lin Fan asked.

“...I know.” Xiao Zhan's voice was hoarse.

“Why?”

“Because... because I bullied you before.”

“Mhm.” Lin Fan nodded. “What else?”

“And... and yesterday at the Martial Arts Hall, I was disrespectful to you.”

“What else?”

Xiao Zhan froze.

There was more?

What else was there?

His mind went blank.

“It seems you've forgotten.”

Lin Fan raised his hand.

*Slap!*

Another slap landed on the right cheek.

Symmetrical again.

“This one is to help you improve your memory.”

“I already told you to keep your head down when you see me, so why didn't you listen?”

???

Xiao Zhan was dumbfounded.

Who the hell was the one who just said the two words 'Look up'!!!

But he didn't dare to talk back.

Not in the slightest.

“Brother... Brother Fan, I was wrong, it won't happen next time.” Xiao Zhan lowered his head, his voice trembling.

“Louder, did you not eat breakfast this morning?”

“Brother Fan, I was wrong!!!”

“Mhm.” Lin Fan nodded and suddenly asked:

“Why aren't you smiling?”

“If you don't smile... you aren't cursing me in your heart, are you?”