Despite all signs pointing to it, it seems that Ear-Slap King has indeed sold me out.

“What now, still won't talk?” The policeman stood up and walked towards me with a sinister smile. “Kids these days are so wild, they don't take the police seriously. Without a bit of suffering, they think they're on vacation here.”

He grabbed my arm, and after some maneuvering, cuffed me to a radiator at an awkward height, leaving me unable to fully stand or squat. It was truly uncomfortable, and soon my whole body started to ache.

“Heh, this is just a small taste; everyone who comes in here has to try it!” The policeman ignored me after that, chatting and laughing with his colleagues, confident that I would break under the pain and confess everything.

I couldn't focus on their conversation. The pain spread from my wrists, gradually making my entire body feel unbearable, like being bitten by ants all over. It wasn’t an intense pain, but it was enough to make me sweat profusely.

But I endured, not saying a word. Although I had no real reason to endure this pain, I stubbornly wanted to wait. At that moment, I was like someone drowning, with a piece of driftwood nearby but my eyes fixated on the person on the shore, hoping they would reach out a hand.

Besides, being cuffed to a radiator, as uncomfortable as it was, was nothing compared to the bullying I endured throughout middle school. Those days were truly hellish. Now it was just physical pain, but back then, it was both physical and psychological torment. From boys to girls, from class leaders to regular students, everyone bullied me.

Cuffed to the radiator in that awkward position, my mind kept drifting back to my middle school life. Compared to those experiences, this pain was nothing. As time passed, maybe a few hours later, the policeman grew restless and said to the others, “Wow, this kid can really endure.”

The other policemen echoed, “Yeah, he's like a pro.” “Is this really his first time here?”

“Hmph.” The original policeman said, “So he can endure, huh? Then cuff him for the whole night. We'll question him again in the morning!” He shot me a sidelong glance, waiting for me to speak. But he was disappointed—I kept my head down and remained silent. Over the years, I'd learned the value of silence.

The policeman cursed under his breath and resumed chatting with the others. Before I knew it, the afternoon had passed. No one came to see me, and my limbs gradually went numb.

“Still not talking?” The policeman stood up, walked over to me, and said coldly, “We're about to get off work. You'll be cuffed like this all night. Do you know what that's like? It's worse than death!”

I wanted to tell him that this was worse than death? Compared to my middle school experiences, this was child's play. The tricks that Zhou Yang and his gang pulled on me would probably leave this policeman in awe if I described them. Drinking mineral water mixed with chalk dust, running a lap around the playground with a desk on my head, getting kicked into the urinal while using the bathroom... I endured all of that, so what couldn't I endure now? But I couldn't be bothered to speak, only managing a wry smile.

“Alright, you're tough.” The policeman touched my neck and suddenly slapped it hard. “Damn, if it weren’t for your age, I’d have used the top ten tortures on you!”

He cursed and, along with the other policemen, got ready to leave. Just before leaving the interrogation room, the policeman said, “If you need to use the bathroom, shout. Someone’s on duty, but you only get two chances all night. Pray you don't get diarrhea!”

With a bang, the door closed. The interrogation room became very quiet, just me and the radiator. The noise outside gradually subsided as more people got off work, and the entire police station fell silent. The evening light slowly faded, and the interrogation room was enveloped in darkness. The light from the hallway seeped in, allowing me to see a few things.

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To be honest, I quite liked the quiet environment, as it allowed me to think clearly about various things. For example, my future, Ear-Slap King’s true intentions, and even Peach and Summer Snow. Okay, I admit that in a situation where I should be worrying about whether Ear-Slap King would come to save me, I spent most of the time thinking about Peach and Summer Snow.

Who do I really like? Who do I want to be with? Both girls are good, equally pure, kind, beautiful, and lovely. One is shy and gentle, the other passionate and straightforward.

Previously, I would have chosen Summer Snow without hesitation, the girl who gave me courage and strength. Despite her temper and willfulness, I was deeply attracted to her. And she didn’t go back to Su Xiaobai as he claimed; her running after the police car today proved her true feelings for me!

Then there's Peach. Undoubtedly, I feel the most comfortable and relaxed around her, and we can talk endlessly. Honestly, I feel inferior around Summer Snow, the class’s dazzling goddess whom I never dreamed of being with before. But with Peach, I can easily joke around, be thick-skinned, and flirt without any hesitation. Certain aspects of Peach strongly attract me, making me increasingly fond of her.

The long night stretched on. Cuffed to the radiator, I had plenty of time to ponder these questions. As I thought, I couldn’t reach a conclusion. Eventually, I became more and more tired, my eyelids almost closing, but I couldn't sleep in this position. It was truly torturous. I suddenly envied Yu Chengfei, the guy who could sleep anytime, anywhere, in any position.

According to Yu Chengfei’s plan, as soon as I realize that Ear-Slap King has no intention of rescuing me, I should immediately rat out Yuan Shao and swagger back to class. The news of our group taking down Maizi must have spread throughout Chenggao High School by now. My status has already been elevated significantly, and as long as I can return to Chenggao safely, whether Ear-Slap King acknowledges it or not, I’ll be known as one of the top figures at Chenggao.

Even so, Yu Chengfei also told me, "But you need to keep a low profile. If Ear-Slap King’s plan fails, he’ll definitely keep a close watch on you. If he catches even the slightest slip-up, he’ll find a way to get you expelled."

That would be the worst outcome. Imagine, now that I've become one of the big shots, who at Chenggao would dare mess with me? Who would I still need to fight with? Where would Ear-Slap King find a reason to get me expelled? But nothing is certain, and to be safe, I still hope Ear-Slap King will come to save me. That way, my days at Chenggao will have an extra layer of protection.

These chaotic thoughts swirled in my mind, and I lost track of time. Enormous fatigue hit me, and eventually, I dozed off slightly, my mind emptying as I leaned against the radiator and fell asleep…

At some point, there was a loud bang as the interrogation room door was kicked open. I jolted awake to see the policeman walking in. The sunlight outside was bright; a new day had finally arrived. The policeman stood in front of me, scrutinizing me for a while before saying, “You haven’t had a sip of water, a bite of food, or gone to the bathroom once. I’ve never seen anyone endure like you.”

I smiled and asked, “Can I go to the bathroom now?”

The policeman looked at me and then unlocked my handcuffs. As soon as I tried to move, my legs gave way, and I collapsed to the floor. The policeman looked at me triumphantly. “Feeling the pain now? Just tell us what happened. Why endure this? In a few days, the student you stabbed will wake up, and then we won’t need your confession.”

Sitting on the floor, I rubbed my legs and asked, “How is Maizi? The student I stabbed.”

“Never mind that,” the policeman snorted. “If he were dead, you wouldn’t be this comfortable now.”

I nodded, stood up shakily, and went to the bathroom. When I returned, the policeman cuffed me back to the radiator.

“You’re still not talking?” he said as he adjusted me to an even more uncomfortable position than yesterday.

“Has anyone come to see me?” I asked, panting. “Our academic director, has he come to see me?”

“Why would he come to see you?” The policeman looked at me puzzled. “With such a big incident at school, he’s busy calming the students. He’s probably handling your case and the other student’s. Both of you are likely to be expelled.”

“Hmm...” Hearing this, I was unexpectedly calm. Perhaps I had anticipated it. But this was just the policeman's guess. I clung to the hope that Ear-Slap King would come. I admired my own stubbornness.

“But someone else came looking for you,” the policeman continued. “A group of students, both boys and girls, were at the police station early in the morning, trying to see you. But they can't come in now. You're still under interrogation and not formally detained. If you want to see them soon, just tell us what happened.”

The boys were probably Ye Zhan and Gong Ning. As for the girls, it could only be Summer Snow and Peach.

Knowing they were outside warmed my heart, dispelling the darkness inside. In middle school, I never imagined having so many good friends. I remembered when I got my admission letter to Chenggao, Zhou Yang made me kneel. At that moment, I vowed to have a group of good brothers at Chenggao. I never thought this wish would come true so quickly. Looking at the sunlight outside, even though I was in the interrogation room, cuffed to the radiator in an awkward position, my heart was still filled with sunshine and joy.