He was now being bullied by a group of students at least two heads shorter than him in the bike shed area, resembling an adult being hassled by a bunch of sixth graders.
Witnessing the scene, Lin Yu's anger blazed like wildfire.
It always comes down to the same thing; if you're a victim, you might garner sympathy and pity from onlookers. But you're a big guy being hit and not fighting back or standing up for yourself?
What's the deal? Trying to play the fragile little girl?
Usually, Lin Yu would just curse under his breath at such a pathetic sight and carry on with his day. After all, if you can't stand up for yourself, who are you to expect anyone else to?
But this time, Lin Yu stalled, rooted to the spot. Simply put, this guy looked too much like Bull De Niu!
Being inexplicably dropped into this adult comic world, Lin Yu felt like he was thrust into a battle with no way out. Although the language and customs here matched his world before the crossover, everything still felt alien.
From the filthy rental where the former protagonist lived to Li Yuan, the uncle and reluctant caretaker, Lin Yu felt no sense of belonging.
Even though he knew this imposter was not the Bull De Niu from his previous life, the mere fact that he bore an uncanny resemblance to his old buddy, and brought a fleeting sense of familiarity, was enough reason for Lin Yu not to ignore his plight.
However, the way Lin Yu planned to help had to be different from how he assisted Tang Manman.
Narrowing his eyes, Lin Yu strode over to the counterfeit Bull De Niu.
Reaching the bullied man's side, Lin Yu kicked away one of the small troublemakers who was hitting the imposter. With the ring leader dealt with, he turned to the faux Bull De Niu, pointed at the one writhing on the ground, and instructed, "See that? Fight back!"
Grabbing another bully by his pink-haired head, Lin Yu pushed the kid's face towards the victim and commanded, "He slapped you a moment ago; now it's your turn. Hit him back."
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"Hey, bro—bro, I made a mistake," pleaded the kid caught in Lin Yu's grip.
"Quiet!" Lin Yu reprimanded and slapped him for talking back. Then, turning to the faux Bull De Niu, he barked, "What're you waiting for? Act!"
"Do you really think they'll dare to hit you back with me here?"
The imposter stood anxiously, looking down timidly like a student caught in wrongdoing. His lips pursed, he finally shook his head, unable to muster the will to fight.
"What? You can't do it?" Lin Yu sneered, fighting back his anger and conceded, "Fine, can't do it? I'll show you—come here!"
With that, Lin Yu grabbed the man's large hand, preparing to slap back on his behalf. However, as Lin Yu's hand was raised high, ready to strike, the imposter suddenly pulled away, unwilling to continue.
Predicting this cowardly retreat, Lin Yu's grip tightened, refusing to let up, determined to follow through with the slap, to teach this man that hitting back wasn't so hard!
But as Lin Yu tried to force the issue, an overwhelming strength surged from the imposter, catching Lin Yu off-balance enough to stagger.
"No, no," the big man stuttered, shaking his head, backing away as if the person to be slapped was not his tormentor but his own father.
Watching Bull De Niu's sheer timidity, Lin Yu nearly exploded with frustration—he'd heard of impossible cases, but seeing a cowardly strong man like this was a first.
Fine! I'm done here! Do whatever!
With a mocking step back, Lin Yu gestured to the bullies to continue, pretending he hadn't intervened, "Go on, keep at it—even though I never showed up. Continue."
The bullies wavered, not keen on harassing the imposter any further, but hesitant to disregard Lin Yu’s words. They exchanged glances and ultimately acquiesced to Lin Yu's wish. They struck once more, pushing the imposter off-balance.
Suddenly, a hefty kick sent another bully flying—the same fate awaited him as the one on the ground.
"Did I tell you to actually hit him? Can’t you tell the difference between good and bad?" Lin Yu vented his pent-up anger, slapping another one of the bullies and ordering them to leave, "Scram! If I ever catch any of you bullying him again, I'll tear you apart!"
The remaining students fled, and Lin Yu was left with the timid imposter. Although he had seen a flash of defiance in his eyes during the bullying, why on earth wouldn't he stand up for himself? What was he so worried about?
Unable to comprehend, Lin Yu didn’t bother trying to understand. He was only helping out one time because of the resemblance to Bull De Niu. From now on, whatever happened to him would be none of Lin Yu's concern...
...
Lin Yu rubbed his temples with a hint of distress.
Perhaps he really couldn't just ignore him. Seeing him bullied, even though he wasn’t Bull De Niu, somehow felt all too wrong—as if it was truly his friend being hassled. He just couldn't stand idly by.