Regarding the Flour Plan, I always stuck to a few thoughts.

First, I must pick a time when Maizi has the fewest people around to make a move. Maizi, being one of the big shots in the south of the city, is known for having tough and ruthless people around him, like Hongli. In a one-on-one fight, Yezhan and I couldn't beat Hongli together. So I must strike when Maizi's forces are weakest.

Second, I must strike in crowded public places. Since we want to establish authority and dominance, we need to make sure that more people see us taking down Maizi. Otherwise, if Maizi falls and no one knows who did it, wouldn't that be a waste of effort?

Third, the strike must be unexpected. With Maizi's influence in the south of the city, as long as he's given some time, he can immediately summon a large number of lackeys to serve him. So this battle must catch him off guard, so that he doesn't have time to call for help and we can take him down completely.

Fourth, I must be the one to take down Maizi. I didn't tell Yezhan and Liuzihong about the switchblade that Slaphead gave me. After all, it's a secret between Slaphead and me, a deal that shouldn't be known by others. When I mentioned this to Yezhan, they were puzzled, thinking that the fastest way to deal with Maizi was for everyone to attack together. But I insisted on this point and assured them that I had absolute confidence in taking down Maizi. Liuzihong and the others naturally trusted me, and Yezhan respected my thoughts, although he was still worried about me.

Of course, I was very confident. With the switchblade in my pocket, who could stand up after being stabbed?

Considering these thoughts, the Flour Plan can only wait for the opportunity that meets all these conditions: Maizi is in a bustling place with few of his cronies around, and his vigilance is low.

So, the Flour Plan can only wait, waiting for the opportunity that meets all these conditions to arise. So, it's not something I can speed up just because I want to. Before that, the thirteen of us are making various preparations. Besides practicing scenarios of taking action, there's also something more important: training our bodies. Seeing him in Slaphead's rented house, with his muscles tense and doing sit-ups hanging from the crossbeam, these scenes are very shocking to me. It made me realize that while being tough is important in a fight, having a strong physique is also crucial.

Therefore, running laps on the playground in the morning and doing push-ups in the dormitory at night have become daily routines.

During this time, Xia Xue and I still ignored each other. Every time I looked at her, she would quickly avoid my gaze, but there would be a slight smirk on her lips, as if she was waiting for me to make amends. But for me, taking down Maizi was the top priority, so I temporarily put aside our romantic feelings.

After evening self-study, I watched Xia Xue leave the classroom (how miserable, I had to watch her leave), and I was about to get up and go back to the dormitory. Just as I reached the classroom door, a boy blocked my way. He wasn't tall, but he was very strong. I felt uncomfortable all over when I saw him, but I still respected him a lot, so I greeted him, "Brick, what's up?"

Brick grinned, "Wang Hao, hello!" still looking silly.

"Um, hello, hello." I smiled back at him, although I didn't know what I was smiling about.

"I heard about last time," Brick said cheerfully, "Taotao had a stomachache, and you took her back to the dormitory, good job!"

Students passing by looked at us; not everyone knew me, but everyone knew Brick.

"Cough!" I laughed, "It's what I should do. Is Taotao okay now?"

"She's fine." Brick was still smiling, "Good brother-in-law, Taotao didn't misjudge you. But why haven't you visited her these days?"

I felt overwhelmed; Xia Xue and I broke up these days, and I was busy with the Flour Plan. How could I have time to visit Taotao? But I still said to Brick, "I've been busy with my studies these days, so I haven't had time. I'm just about to go now, though."

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"Okay, okay, that's good." Brick said, "You two have gotten married, you have to be together every day."

When Brick said this, I nervously looked around, afraid of being eavesdropped by others. "Sure, sure." I patted Brick's shoulder, "Okay, Brick, you go back now, and I'll go find your sister."

After sending Brick away, I thought about how I hadn't visited Taotao since her last stomachache. Now that Brick mentioned it, the longing in my heart grew stronger. Originally, I was just joking with Brick, but it made me involuntarily walk towards Taotao's classroom.

As soon as I entered Taotao's class, I saw her sitting upright, reading a book with grace and elegance. She looked elegant and refined, with a beautiful appearance that didn't dare to provoke any improper thoughts, like a white lotus blooming proudly on the green waves, exuding the aura of a noble lady in every gesture. Despite being from a poor family that couldn't even afford tuition, Taotao possessed such qualities. It seemed to confirm the ancient poem: "A belly full of poetry and books, exuding elegance."

I smiled and walked towards Taotao, realizing that every time I saw this girl, my affection for her grew. This was truly a bad omen. Taotao heard footsteps and looked up, a hint of surprise in her expression, but she quickly regained her cold demeanor and asked, "What are you here for?" "Just to see my wife." I joked and sat down next to Taotao. It's strange, but whenever I'm with Taotao, I can't help but tease her. In the past, I was quiet and reserved, never this cheeky.

Taotao turned her face away with a "hmph," but I could see her secretly smiling. "Hey, don't ignore me." I pulled Taotao's arm, "You haven't explained why you had a stomachache last time."

Actually, I asked some classmates later and figured out what menstruation was all about. It's strange, but whenever I'm with Taotao, I seem to become a shameless rogue, saying whatever comes to mind.

"You don't need to worry about it." Taotao turned her face away, adopting an attitude of "I won't talk to you anymore".

I found myself in a dull situation, not knowing what to do. Just then, a few girls from Taotao's dormitory approached, all giggling and laughing. "Wang Hao, why haven't you come for days?" "Wang Hao, our Taotao misses you." "Yeah, Taotao never returns to the dormitory right after evening self-study. She always stays for an extra half hour."

"Hey, stop making things up." Taotao's face flushed as she scolded the girls beside her. But they ignored her completely, continuing to joke and laugh. One of them even mentioned hearing Taotao talk in her sleep, calling out "Wang Hao's" name.

"Oh, stop it, you guys." Taotao's face turned as red as a tomato, and she immediately stood up, ready to leave.

The girls quickly grabbed her, saying, "Alright, alright, we won't bother you two lovebirds anymore. You guys talk, we'll leave."

After they left, I smiled and said, "So, you've really been waiting for me every night?" Taotao snorted, "I was actually studying, not waiting for you. Don't listen to their nonsense."

"Then what about calling out my name in your dreams?" I teased Taotao with a playful grin, feeling quite pleased with myself.

"I have no idea about that; they must have made it up." Taotao lowered her head, her face so hot you could probably fry an egg on it.

"I doubt it." I chuckled, "I bet it's just our minds being in sync. The girls in our dormitory say I call out your name in my sleep too." I made up this lie on the spot, just to tease Taotao.

But Taotao suddenly turned her face towards me, her expression full of joy. "Really?"

For a moment, I really wanted to tell her the truth, to admit that I was just joking with her. But seeing her so happy, and thinking about how disappointed she would be if she found out the truth, I couldn't help but say, "Of course it's true." I laughed to cover up my guilt.

"You're just trying to trick me again!" Taotao said, although it was evident that she was genuinely happy. I could only grin foolishly in response.

Taotao then asked, "How about you and Xia Xue? Did you catch up with her last time?" "No, I didn't." I shrugged, feeling helpless. "The next day, she broke up with me."

I thought Taotao would be happy to hear this news, but instead, she looked serious and guilty.

"I'm sorry," Taotao said, "If it weren't for me, you guys wouldn't have..."

"It's okay." I waved my hand. She really is a kind and good girl... Xia Xue is also kind and innocent, but not as generous as Taotao. I always subconsciously compare the two, always concluding that Xia Xue is not as good as Taotao. But if both girls were standing in front of me, I would still choose Xia Xue without hesitation. Are all men like this?

"I know you still like her." Taotao suddenly spoke, startling me. I thought she could read minds and knew what I was thinking. "If you can't let go, just go reconcile with her. Girls are always easy to coax."

"Yeah." I nodded, "Let's wait a few days first, let her cool down before talking. It's just... I'm sorry to have troubled you..."

"It's okay." Taotao smiled, "As long as I have it with me, I'm happy." With that, she moved her hand away. I noticed the black leather notebook on the table, filled with my analysis of Shakespeare's works.