The atmosphere became extremely awkward.
The parents were visibly uncomfortable, turning to their own sons with puzzled expressions. "What's going on? Didn't you tell me he's always picking fights?"
They had come here thinking that some troublemakers were bullying their sons, and they had boldly stormed up to the rooftop with the expectation of witnessing a group of delinquent students maliciously attacking others. They had even prepared their phones to record the scene. But the reality they encountered was surprisingly harmonious.
What now?
The troublemakers themselves were also utterly bewildered.
Did they not know what kind of person Shi Qing was? When he was at their school, he was ruthless and arrogant, running rampant without any restraint. He had a certain aura about him, to put it nicely.
In harsher terms, he seemed to want all the students at the school to be his lackeys, disrupting their studies without any care.
Money, intimidation, you name it, he had all the tricks up his sleeve. Because they didn't hang around with Shi Qing, they would get into trouble outside, rob students, and Shi Qing would take it upon himself to teach them a lesson.
They had finally endured until he left, thinking that he would now go to another school to cause trouble. And what did they see? Shi Qing was actually studying!
This was as absurd as aliens playing a game of tag on a blue star or a wolf falling in love with a rabbit.
Seeing that they weren't responding, the parents grew anxious. "What's going on? Can't you say something?"
The leader of the troublemakers stammered, "W-We don't know..."
Finally, the head teacher struggled to make his way through, clearing his throat a few times and adjusting his tie that had slipped to the back of his neck due to his hurried sprint.
"Uh, well, Shi Qing, what's happening here? Are you all... studying?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Shi Qing, the handsome school bully, raised an eyebrow and casually waved the book in his hand. "Unless you thought we came here to have a feast with books?"
The head teacher scolded him, "How can you talk to a teacher like that!" and stepped in front of Shi Qing.
But Shi Qing remained as calm and composed as ever, speaking in a gentle tone, just like a well-behaved student. "Teacher, don't be angry. You barged in here suddenly, broke down the door, and brought a group of people. Shi Qing might have been startled."
Startled...
The head teacher looked at Shi Qing, still exuding an air of "I'm the best in the world," then glanced at Zuo Junli, who looked earnest.
This kid, because he was sensible and timid, thought that others were the same.
The head teacher cleared his throat awkwardly and asked, "What kind of studying method is this? Are you teaching them?"
"Yes," the academic achiever replied with his gentle demeanor, then looked at Shi Qing before turning back. "Shi Qing and the others are worried about their poor grades and not being able to get into university. They know my family is not well off, so they paid me to tutor them."
"There are other students resting in the classroom, and there are too many of us, so we came to the rooftop."
The head teacher had imagined various scenarios on his way here, but none of them matched the current situation.
He cleared his throat again, feeling his voice growing hoarse. "Very well, this is very good. It's great that you're taking charge of your own studies. The teacher is also very happy."
Other teachers, who had observed the situation and compared Shi Qing and Zuo Junli, who was still smiling, to the initially aggressive parents and the teachers who had sided with them, immediately took a step forward.
"Don't worry, dear parents. This is the kind of learning atmosphere we have at our school. Students with poor grades don't need the teacher to push them; they're anxious themselves."
Pointing at Zuo Junli, one of the teachers said, "Look, we even have the top student of the grade coming to help them with extra lessons. It not only strengthens their foundation but also improves their lives and helps them with their own grades. It's praiseworthy."
In short, the message was clear: Our school's students are excellent!
Are you looking for faults in our students? Look at this guy, holding a book in his hand, and the words on the small blackboard. Can you find any faults?
After witnessing this harmonious scene of "friendly communication and learning together," the parents who had come to interrogate and the teachers who had initially tried to appease them quickly shifted their perspectives.
Now the parents felt uneasy, while the teachers stood tall with conviction.
"Is there some misunderstanding here? Although Shi Qing's grades are poor, he..."
The teacher wasn't familiar with Shi Qing, and all he had heard were negative stories – about his powerful background, how he had gathered a group of followers at school, and how he was impolite even to teachers.
But he had never heard about Shi Qing's strengths. He was at a loss and turned to the head teacher for help.
The head teacher hesitated, then said, "Well..." After all, he was Shi Qing's homeroom teacher, and he needed to know more about his students.
The head teacher continued, "Shi Qing may have poor grades, but he..."
"But he has a good reputation, always ready to help others at school, and he enjoys being with his classmates."
For example, when it comes to buying lunch at the cafeteria, he loves to confidently cut in line at the front.
"During class, he never seems distracted like some students who quietly play with their phones."
After all, he openly and directly engages in activities, without any pretense.
"He also enjoys helping other students with tasks like carrying water."
Although it seems that he is "pursuing" Tong Xinyu, when it's her turn to carry water, he sends his own guys to do it.
"And he's also very... well..."
The head teacher really couldn't come up with anything more.
Zuo Junli smoothly continued, "He's very just. For example, when I was being robbed before, he saved me."
Saying that, the top student looked behind the head teacher, his eyes brightening as he pointed. "Teacher, it's them who robbed me!"
For a moment, all eyes focused on these delinquent students who had come to complain.
The delinquents: "..."
Under the parents' intimidating gazes, small beads of sweat gradually appeared on their foreheads.
"No, it's not like that! Mom, Dad, please let me explain. We really didn't rob him; he was conducting a sting operation! I swear! He walked by, and then money fell down, and I picked it up, and then..."
Zuo Junli leisurely added, "Earlier, they also robbed Tong Xinyu, and it was Shi Qing who rescued her."
The delinquents: "..."
This one actually seems to be true...
The leader of the delinquents still attempted to salvage the situation: "Although the previous incident was true, this guy, he's definitely not genuine!"
"They were clearly setting us up deliberately with Shi Qing leading the way!"
Shi Qing, in his usual casual manner, walked forward, placed his hand on Zuo Junli's shoulder, and leaned lazily against the young man. He raised an eyebrow at the group of people.
"Listen, before I transferred here, you guys used to bully younger students everywhere, staying on the streets after school to rob them. Everyone in the school knows about it. If it weren't for me stopping you, you would have been expelled long ago."
"I didn't expect that after I transferred, you would repeat the same tricks, and after I stopped you, you want to play the victim. Have you no shame at all?"
"That's right," Zuo Junli also frowned, appearing very disdainful while maintaining his politeness. "The five hundred yuan was my part-time earnings, and you guys must be really shameless to snatch that money."
"Yes," Shi Qing chimed in, raising his arm and patting his elbow. "I'm still sore all over from the beating yesterday, and my elbows are still uncomfortable."
The delinquents who had been thoroughly beaten the day before: "..."
They were utterly dumbfounded.
These two individuals were shameless to an unbelievable degree!!!
"You guys are slinging mud at us! Mom, please don't look at me like that; I really didn't rob this person, really!!"
Shi Qing leaned against Zuo Junli, still wearing that lazy expression.
"Whether we robbed or not, you can just go to their school and ask if they have a criminal record. When I was here before, I could keep them in check, preventing them from robbing and encouraging them to study properly. But now that I've transferred, they're probably back to their old ways."
"Also, understand this. You guys are not kids anymore. Robbing people on the street? If I report it to the police, even if you don't go to jail, you'll probably spend a few days in a juvenile detention center."
The parents' glares at their sons became even more menacing.
They knew exactly what kind of kids their sons were. Their school had a reputation for being chaotic, so not excelling academically was quite possible. However, they had always thought that their sons were just struggling with their grades.
They never expected it to escalate to the point of robbing people on the street.
The delinquents, seeing the disapproving looks from their parents, started to feel that something was amiss.
"Mom, Dad, things really aren't what you think!"
Shi Qing added, "Anyway, the school is not far from here. Go back to their school and ask the teachers and students. Once you clarify the situation, we can handle it."
If they had heard this earlier, these parents might have thought that Longyin High School was intentionally delaying the resolution. But now...
They looked at Zuo Junli.
Clean-cut, handsome, well-mannered, articulate, and with clear eyes when he looked at them. He seemed like a diligent student who couldn't tell a lie no matter how hard he tried.
So, they shifted their gazes back to their own sons.
With injuries on their faces, dirt smudges in unknown places on their bodies, pen drawings on their uniforms, and their necks slightly inclined forward. They looked completely careless and academically inept.
They looked at Zuo Junli, then at their own sons.
They looked at their sons, then at Zuo Junli.
The delinquents looked at their parents' increasingly disapproving expressions and began to realize that something was wrong.
"Mom, Dad, it's really not what you think!"
Shi Qing chimed in, "Since it's not far, go back to their school and find out. If they really didn't do anything wrong, there shouldn't be a problem, right?"
The delinquents: "..."
Shi Qing continued, "We can't escape from here anyway. You can come back to find us once you've figured it out."
The parents were convinced.
With stern faces, they bid farewell to their sons, who were trying to appear wrongly accused but were actually quite guilty, and left with the teachers.
Then, on the rooftop, only a group of delinquent students who had been scolded countless times remained, holding their books and facing the teachers.
Finally, the resilient head teacher spoke first:
"Well... you guys better study hard. Uh, manage your time wisely, and don't tire yourselves out too much. You still have classes this afternoon."
Then, with an awkward but polite smile on his face, he gently closed the door that had been kicked open.
"Yahoo!!!"
As soon as the door closed, the students who had been pretending to be well-behaved immediately cheered and started discussing excitedly.
"Did you see their expressions just now? Hahaha, it cracked me up!"
"I've never seen the head teacher speak to us in such a gentle tone. Hey, Shi Ge, those guys dared to falsely accuse you. Let's go confront them after school!"
"Yeah, exactly! What a bunch of losers! They even dared to mess with Shi Ge. We'll make sure they regret it!"
Shi Qing took big strides forward and gave each one a smack on the head.
"What are you planning to confront them for? And remember, time, not just confronting people!"
Each exclamation mark represented a smack on the head.
After reprimanding his little brothers, the school bully returned to Zuo Junli's side, leaning lazily against him, and announced:
"We have a little over a year until the college entrance exams. You guys must get into university for me. Otherwise, don't call yourselves my little brothers."
The little brothers: "..."
Just by looking at their appearance, you could tell that they were among the worst-performing students in the class.
Moreover, most people's thoughts are that they'll stop studying after graduating from high school, so how could they possibly get into college?
Immediately, one of the underlings cautiously raised his hand and said, "Shi Ge, can I not be your underling anymore?"
"Sure," Shi Qing stretched his arms and cracked his neck, "As long as you walk out of this rooftop today, you won't be my underling anymore; you'll be my enemy. I promise to have friendly conversations with you every day."
The underling: "..."
"What if I don't want to be your underling or your enemy? Can't I just treat you as an ordinary passerby?"
"No."
Zuo Junli stood firmly and looked at the school bully leaning on him with an air of dominance. "You either become brothers or enemies, your choice."
Finally, under Shi Qing's "friendly advice," including Lu Tao, all sixteen underlings had long faces but chose to continue being obedient underlings.
Among these underlings, some of them used to be quite rebellious. However, they couldn't withstand Shi Qing's toughness. Those who didn't obey were beaten, and if someone was unhappy, they had to fight, but Shi Qing was clever enough not to attract the teachers' attention; their fights always took place in hidden spots.
Besides, Shi Qing had money! He had been at the school for only a short time, but he had already managed to discipline these guys.
The school bully could handle himself well in a fight, so he selected obedient underlings to avoid trouble. Those who were too stubborn and refused to give in couldn't become his underlings.
Once everyone agreed, Shi Qing glanced at Zuo Junli.
Although his expression was like, "I'm so awesome," the young man saw a hint of pride in showing off someone he liked.
He softened his gaze and smiled tenderly at Shi Qing.
The school bully, upon receiving that smile, felt even more self-satisfied.
He remained leaning on Zuo Junli and began assigning tasks, "Before the next test, each of you must improve your scores by ten points. If you don't achieve that, you know what will happen."
The underlings nervously suggested, "Is it too much to raise the total score by ten points? How about five...?"
Shi Qing chimed in, "I said ten points for each subject."
The underlings: "..."
At this point, it was Zuo Junli's turn to offer a sweet reward. He smiled amiably and appeared very approachable, "Actually, it's not that difficult. We're only in our second year of high school, and your low scores are due to a weak foundation. If you pay attention in class and let me help you after school, subjects like literature and social studies are just about memorizing and regurgitating. Once you've memorized them, understanding will come easily."
Shi Qing followed up, "Did you hear that? It's easy."
The underlings: "..."
Zuo Junli continued, "I'll help you build a solid foundation, so as long as you pay attention in class, a ten-point improvement won't be difficult."
Shi Qing echoed, "Did you hear that? Not difficult."
The underlings: "..."
The school bully suddenly remembered something, "By the way, hand over your phones. From now on, no using phones in class. Focus on studying obediently."
"Don't play tricks. I've seen your conversations in the group chat before. If anyone dares not to hand it over, hmm..."
The underlings wished they could cry out loud...
Where could they find such a boss!!!
Where could they find such a boss!!!
But even if they cried miserably and were reluctant, the heartless boss still confiscated their phones one by one.
If the underlings' current feelings could be turned into Weibo hashtags, it might look like this:
#EscapedFromTeachersButNotFromTheBoss
#DemonBossForcingUsToStudyOnline
#WhyDoWeHaveToShowOurGradesToJoinTheGang
In short, it was very tough.
However, Zuo Junli remained unaffected by them and calmly finished explaining the basics amidst the gloomy atmosphere. He then assigned homework and tasks.
In the eyes of the underlings, he was the one wearing a gentle smile, but he was also leveraging Shi Qing's backing:
"You must complete the school-assigned homework, even if you don't understand it. You must complete it in advance and submit it to me by the end of the day. I will check it."
One underling was dissatisfied.
Listening to their own boss was understandable, but why did Zuo Junli, who didn't seem to have any combat skills, come to manage them as well?
"Hey, you little wimp! You... Oh!"
He hadn't finished his sentence when he received a smack on the head.
The underling looked up, and Shi Qing was glaring at him fiercely. "Who are you talking about?"
The underling stammered, "I... I was talking about myself."
He sat down cautiously, his expression suddenly filled with a thirst for knowledge.
"That's about right."
The school bully concluded, then returned to Zuo Junli's side, murmuring to him, "Don't be afraid of these kids. If they do anything to you, just tell me."
Zuo Junli looked at him tenderly, his lips slightly curved.
"Sure, I'll definitely tell you."
The feeling of being protected was surprisingly good.
[Notification: Zuo Junli's Rejection Rate: 50/100]
His gaze towards Shi Qing seemed to deepen. He took the hand the school bully had used to smack someone's head and gently wiped it with a tissue, his fingers long and slender.
Shi Qing didn't feel uncomfortable at all. He looked at Zuo Junli confidently as he wiped his hand, and he even shouted fiercely at the underlings who had been peeking at them, "What are you looking at? None of you care about hygiene, and now my hands are dirty!"
When the underlings obediently lowered their heads, he turned his attention back to Zuo Junli and extended his other hand, lightly tracing his fingers over the hand that held his own.
Zuo Junli had fair skin and attractive, long, and well-manicured fingers. Shi Qing openly touched his fingers one by one and said seriously, "Your hands look good. Massaging your back should be enjoyable."
With each touch, Zuo Junli felt a slight tickling sensation in his heart. He raised his eyes slightly and looked at the school bully with a gentle smile.
"I'll massage you when we get back."
Shi Qing cleared his throat a few times, looking serious, "I hired you to tutor me, so after we get back, you need to supervise me while I study the text."
Zuo Junli replied, "I can massage you while supervising your studying."
The school bully nodded, "Good, good, you're very accommodating. Tomorrow, I'll treat you to spicy hot pot."
The closest underling, Lu Tao, cautiously extended his claws, "Shi Ge, I can also massage you while listening to you recite the text."
Shi Qing didn't say anything, just gave a disdainful look at his hand.
Lu Tao immediately understood and withdrew his hand with a sense of defeat.
He felt a great sense of crisis inside.
Clearly, he used to be Shi Ge's favorite little brother, but for some reason, Zuo Junli had taken his place.
Now, they ate together, went to class together, slept together, and even studied this terrifying stuff together.
The position of the first little brother had been stolen like this.
It was so tragic, sob...
Lu Tao felt miserable, but the others, or more precisely, everyone except these little brothers, didn't feel miserable at all. On the contrary, they were quite happy.
Especially their parents and teachers.
The teachers were all saying that although Shi Qing had looked like trouble before, his transformation was genuinely impressive.
Not only did he work hard himself, but he also inspired other underperforming students!
What kind of spirit was this?
This was the spirit of sharing the joy of learning!
Before, they had prejudices and thought he was a bad kid, fighting and bullying classmates. Even if they didn't say it out loud, they didn't have a good impression of him.
But now, everything was clear.
Shi Qing didn't fight; he stood up for what was right!
He didn't bully classmates; he helped them!
How could he be called a school bully or a bad student?
He was clearly someone who stood up for what was right, helped others, studied diligently, and aimed for excellence in his studies!
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