Chapter 56: Willfulness of High Intelligence

“No matter what? If you won’t take care of it, then I’ll handle it myself!”

As children, conflicts are resolved by teachers and parents. As adults, if disagreements arise, there are the police or courts. If those channels fail and tensions escalate, there’s only one way left: violence.

With no warning, a swift kick landed in Qiu Hui’s stomach. He staggered back two steps, bumping into a classmate’s desk. Before he could steady himself, Xiao Cheng’s fist struck again, connecting solidly with his soft side. As Qiu Hui gasped in pain, Xiao Cheng stepped forward, grabbed his hair, and slammed him against the wall, seething, “Qiu Hui, remember this—from now on, I, Wen Xiaocheng, will never let you bully me again. If you want to hit me, be ready to get hit yourself!”

Beating up Qiu Hui in front of the teacher and classmates of Class Four, Grade Nine—Xiao Cheng had reasons to vent his anger, but the act was more about the calculated outcome after careful consideration. After this scene, several possibilities could unfold:

First: The hooligans in Class Four might collectively surge forward. While not impossible, the likelihood was low. Most had no direct quarrel with Xiao Cheng, and those under Qiu Hui’s influence had just received favors from Xiao Cheng in Class Eight the day before—owed him a debt, enough to make them hesitate. That hesitation breeds concerns, especially with Teacher Qin present; not everyone has the courage to act in front of the teacher. Moreover, Lü Qi, who usually would lead the charge, stayed out of it, leaving a leaderless group. Without someone to take the lead, the crowd remains scattered.

Second: School disciplinary action. This was not a worry—it was just a fight, and Qiu Hui struck first. Even a punishment meant little to Xiao Cheng, except expulsion, which he barely cared about—though it would upset his grandmother for a while. The prediction was that the school wouldn’t get involved; Qiu Hui couldn’t afford to lose face.

The likeliest outcome was the one unfolding now: the entire class stood by, watching as the supposed king of the school took a beating, then watching Xiao Cheng dust himself off and leave. Of course, Qiu Hui would try to regain his dignity later, but that no longer mattered. After all, he never intended to let Xiao Cheng off easily, and with nearly a week’s leave, Xiao Cheng would be hard to find for retaliation.

No matter how things turned out, after this fight, no one in the school would dare underestimate Wen Xiaocheng again.

Sure enough, the whole school buzzed with talk: Xiao Cheng, alone, marched to Grade Nine, dragged the school’s top dog Qiu Hui from his classroom, and beat him up in front of their homeroom teacher!

So, who was the true king of the school?

This was precisely the effect Xiao Cheng desired.

There was an even more favorable possibility: Qiu Hui, humiliated, might lash out at his own followers, blaming them for not coming to his aid. If so, he could find himself isolated and abandoned.

Retaliation isn’t merely tit-for-tat. You claim to be the king of the school? With graduation a month away, before that, I’ll drag you down from your pedestal!

“This isn’t a rational decision,” Wen Xiaodao’s voice echoed once more in Xiao Cheng’s mind, asserting its presence.

“You know the optimal solution as well. Their group is fractured, and Qiu Hui is about to graduate. After a fight, everyone knows you’re not to be trifled with, and the urge to settle things quietly prevails. With your extended leave, the storm will pass before you return. Both sides reach a tacit understanding, and in a few days, they’ll be gone. Then, you’ll be the king. Why insist on a head-on clash? Not wise! Is such a foolish decision worthy of your three-hundred-plus IQ?”

“Smart people must face their own inner conflicts.”

Humans are creatures of emotion; absolute rationality is impossible. Xiao Cheng created a virtual persona in his mind precisely to overcome this weakness. Wen Xiaodao’s advice was undoubtedly sound and advantageous, but it required Xiao Cheng to swallow his pride.

No one knew the humiliation Xiao Cheng had suffered these past two years. Compared to mental torment, the physical pain was negligible. Every day, he struggled between the urge to lash out and the discipline to hold back. Without the awakening, he would have lost control eventually. Hatred accumulates slowly, and to let Qiu Hui graduate as if nothing happened would be no different from enduring in silence.

Endurance is often the result of helplessness, never the best choice—especially when someone longs to give voice to their own heart.

“With an IQ over three hundred, must I live so repressed? Am I not allowed a moment of recklessness?”

...

At the school gate, the security guard was already an old acquaintance. He greeted Xiao Cheng proactively, “Skipping class again today?”

Xiao Cheng waved his leave slip, “Not skipping this time—homeroom teacher approved it!”

“Officially skipping, then?”

“Exactly!”

After the fight, Xiao Cheng felt unusually light-hearted. Upon leaving the school, he broke into a jog. By the riverside, Da Gang was no longer hustling chess games—perhaps he really intended to start a chess club. After crossing the bridge, at Riverside Garden, an adorable old man lived there.

...

“Professor Dai, I heard you haven’t been feeling well these days, so I came to check on you!” Xiao Cheng was never formal with Old Dai.

“You rascal, just say you’re here for food and drink—I’m not going to turn you away! No need to jinx me. I carried your schoolbag for you yesterday!” The old man grumbled, but his face was full of smiles. He was genuinely pleased to see his young friend. Almonds and soda appeared, and there was even a hint of ingratiation.

“What shall we do today? Want to go back to the mahjong club and scam some money?”

This old man had truly gone astray...

A university professor, no less!

“Old Dai, I’m actually here today to borrow your computer for some study—to do something productive!”

Professor Dai didn’t mind being called Old Dai, but he pursed his lips at Xiao Cheng’s words. “Just say you want to play games. Study? Do you think I believe that?”

Xiao Cheng didn’t stand on ceremony, patting the old man’s shoulder. “Have some confidence, comrade. Why can’t I do something serious here? You can watch if you like!”

“What exactly are you up to?” the old man asked in surprise.

“Recently, our city is hosting the International Mathematical Olympiad. You’ve heard about it, right?”

Professor Dai nodded; he’d seen it in the paper.

“The provincial education department, to raise its profile, loosened the bonus points policy for the high school entrance exam. As long as you make it into the Olympiad semifinals, you get ten extra points!”

Professor Dai nodded again. “That’s good news for you students, isn’t it?”

“Good or bad depends on perspective. Some get the points, others don’t. The policy isn’t necessarily fair! And what’s even less fair is, based on previous scores, thirty-four points is enough to reach the semifinals. The exam totals one hundred, with about sixty points from multiple-choice. So our school has every seventh and eighth grader signed up—for another lottery ticket! Is this a math competition? It’s a lottery!”

——————

This story is entirely fictional. Please do not imitate, especially if you’re a young reader.