In a fit of rage, I lunged forward, seizing the collar of the long-haired man, and delivered a fierce punch to his cheek. My three years with Binzi were not in vain—I had fought alongside him in countless brawls, both great and small.

The long-haired man let out a cry and retaliated with a brutal kick to my stomach. I stumbled back a step, but before I could recover, two other boys charged at me, each landing a kick that sent me sprawling to the ground. I struggled to rise, but it was futile. They kicked me relentlessly, showing no mercy.

Despair engulfed me. Only then did I realize how utterly weak I was. My past victories had never been my own; they were Binzi’s. My opponents had never dared to fight back—they merely stood there, letting me strike.

Someone suddenly shouted, “The teacher’s coming!” At once, the three attackers fled in a panic. I struggled to my feet, battered and humiliated, only to find myself encircled by a crowd of onlookers. Never in my life had I suffered such disgrace.

I turned to Lin Ke’er. “Are you alright?”

Those thugs had clearly been harassing her—at the very least, I had driven them away.

Lin Ke’er’s expression was cold. “This has nothing to do with you.”

Her words ignited my anger. “I was just trying to help you! Is that how you respond?”

She scoffed. “This isn’t middle school, and Binzi isn’t here to back you up. You should stop acting so arrogant.” With that, she turned and walked away.

I was fuming. Not only had I taken a beating, but I hadn’t even earned a word of gratitude. It was clear—Lin Ke’er loathed me.

The spectators had yet to disperse. Annoyed, I snapped, “What the hell are you all looking at?”

A few boys chuckled. “Looking at the hell itself.”

I wanted to curse them back, but seeing their numbers, I swallowed my pride and left in silence.

Stepping out of the academic building, I found a secluded corner and patted the dust off my clothes. Every inch of my body throbbed in pain. Frustration weighed heavily on me—everything was playing out just as that anonymous text had foretold. Without Binzi, I was nothing. The worst part? Even Lin Ke’er thought the same.

It would be a lie to say I didn’t want to rise above this. But I was alone, powerless, and had no idea where to start. For now, I had no choice but to return to the dormitory.

Our dorm housed eight people. By the time I arrived, everyone was back, lounging on their beds, chatting idly. I noticed that Ma Jie, the self-appointed class monitor, was one of my roommates. But I had no interest in conversation. Turning toward the wall, I closed my eyes and rested.

Before long, I heard Ma Jie’s voice. “By the way, have you all paid the protection fee? The Ninth Prince will be coming to collect soon. Just hand it over to me now to save the trouble.”

Someone asked how much. “Ten yuan,” Ma Jie replied, then went around collecting the money.

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When he reached me, I said, “I don’t have any.”

“First day here and you’re broke?”

“I just don’t have it.” I couldn’t comprehend how this wretched school still allowed such extortion to exist.

Ma Jie said nothing, merely took the others’ money and left. I remained lying down, trying to rest, but soon enough, several figures barged into the room. Ma Jie pointed at me. “It’s him.”

As I sat up, I instantly recognized the long-haired man from earlier.

“Well, well,” he sneered, “it’s you again, you little piece of trash.”

Gripping the bedframe, he lashed out with a vicious kick. The blow sent me toppling backward, and before I could react, the others dragged me off the bed and resumed their relentless assault. I shielded my head, enduring the beating as best I could.

At last, they stopped. The long-haired man crouched down, sneering. “A hero, weren’t you? Rescuing the damsel? Tomorrow morning, I’ll pay Lin Ke’er another visit. Let’s see if you can save her again.” With that, he slapped me twice across the face before leading his gang away.

I sat on the floor, silent and numb. My face tingled with pain. The dormitory fell into an eerie stillness—no one spoke, no one moved. It was as if they feared attracting the same fate.

My eyes felt itchy. When I wiped them, I was startled to find them wet.

Tears? Had I… actually cried?

Never in my life had I imagined myself being beaten to the point of tears.

I stumbled to the washroom, splashed cold water on my face, and took a deep breath. Then, glancing around, I found a mop. With a swift kick, I snapped it in half. The broken wooden handle fit perfectly in my grip.

I wanted revenge. I refused to believe that without Binzi, I was nothing.

At that moment, my phone rang. I glanced at the screen, startled. As if summoned by sheer willpower—it was Binzi calling.

I answered, forcing a casual tone. “Took you long enough, dumbass. What’s up?”

“Haha, first day of school—just wanted to see if you got your *ss kicked yet.”

He meant it as a joke, but my heart ached. “Who the hell would dare? I’d beat them to death.”

Binzi laughed heartily. “That’s my brother. Anyway, listen—I just found out I’ve got a friend at your school. If you ever run into trouble, look for him. His name’s Houzi. I’ll text you his number.”

After we hung up, a message popped up. I dialed the number, and after several rings, a drowsy voice answered, “Hello…?”

“I’m Zuo Fei. Binzi told me to contact you.”

“Oh, Zuo Fei, huh? Alright. Come over—I’m in dorm 305.”

I made my way there. The room was empty except for a thin, disheveled figure sprawled on the bed. His hair was a tangled mess, dark circles heavy beneath his eyes—he looked like a sleep-deprived addict.

I called his name twice.

Suddenly, he shot up and shouted, “Where the hell is the tank?! If you disconnect again, I swear I’ll fly to Henan and cut you into pieces!”

I froze.

Then I realized—he was sleep-talking. And dreaming about a game, no less. No wonder he had such massive dark circles.

I shook him again. Finally, he groggily sat up.

“I’m Zuo Fei.”

“Oh, right.” Houzi scratched at his eye, pulling out a crusty lump. “Binzi’s friend, huh? If you ever need anything, just come to me.”

Then, without warning, he flopped back down to sleep.

I quickly said, “I need help right now.”

This time, he reacted instantly, sitting upright. “What’s up?”

Relief washed over me—Binzi’s friend was reliable after all. I recounted my ordeal, from my failed rescue attempt to my refusal to pay the protection fee.

Houzi listened, silent for a long while.

I sighed. “If it’s too much trouble, forget it.”

“Wait, say that again—I kinda zoned out.”

“…”

Unbelievable. How could someone zone out mid-conversation? With no other choice, I repeated myself.

Houzi nodded. “The Ninth Prince, huh? The long-haired guy? I got it. We’ll deal with him this afternoon.”

He said it so nonchalantly, as if this was nothing. I nodded. “I’ll find you later. Which class are you in?”

After getting his details, I turned to leave.

“Wait a sec.”

I glanced back.

“You got five yuan on you? I haven’t eaten yet.”

“…”

I wasn’t particularly stingy, but the timing was… suspicious. Wasn’t this just another form of extortion?

Still, Binzi wouldn’t introduce me to someone unreliable. Silently, I handed him the money.

Houzi snatched it up and bolted out the door like a man possessed.

I was left standing in the empty dorm, utterly baffled.