"Fine! Since you won't cooperate, Linjie, let's see how your little hero crawls under my crotch now!"
There it was again—that twisted satisfaction Lin Yi always got when he humiliated others. Power made him high, and every second of domination fed his delusion that the world belonged to him.
"Hold him down! Crawl or not, he's going under!"
Strutting over like a king approaching a peasant, Lin Yi sneered down at the figure pinned to the ground—only to have his smirk wiped off in an instant.
Doug Feng exploded upward with a burst of energy. In one swift motion, he shrugged off the four guys holding him down and stood up tall. His joints cracked with a satisfying pop-pop-pop, like a beast waking from hibernation.
"Body enhancement… this is what real power feels like. My vision's clearer, their movements are slower… even my thoughts are syncing with my reflexes. I'm faster, stronger… hell yeah."
The result of the "Basic Physical Enhancement" was far beyond what Doug had expected. This wasn't just fitness—this was a transformation. Every cell in his body screamed with newfound strength.
"What the hell?! How'd he break free? Beat him down—beat him down now!"
Lin Yi barked like a rabid dog, face twisted in disbelief. His underlings hesitated for a heartbeat, then charged. But they weren't fighters—they were schoolyard bullies, used to ganging up on weaker kids and throwing Lin Yi's name around to scare people. Real combat? Not a chance.
Doug sidestepped the first punch with ease, watching the guy's fist move in slow motion.
"You think you're fast? That's cute."
Wham!
Doug's counterpunch slammed into the kid's chest like a sledgehammer. The poor guy flew back, arms flailing, and crashed into the pavement with a pained grunt.
"Don't just stand there! Whoever beats him gets two girls tonight at Jinshun KTV! My treat!"
Lin Yi panicked and tossed out a reward, but his minions were already backing away. One KO was enough to make them reconsider their loyalty.
Doug dusted off his uniform and slowly turned to Lin Yi, eyes gleaming with cool contempt.
"Weren't you the one talking big a minute ago? Didn't you want me to crawl under your crotch? Come on then, make me."
"You—you better not come any closer! I swear, if you touch me, I'll make sure your whole family regrets it! You have no idea who you're messing with!"
Doug stepped forward again, and Lin Yi stumbled back, genuinely scared for the first time.
"Go get a teacher! Quick! Someone get Mr. Qiu!"
Now that things weren't going his way, Lin Yi dropped the tough guy act like a hot potato and started screaming for help. Doug chuckled.
"Now you want a teacher? What happened to being the king of First High?"
"Doug, enough. Please."
Linjie stepped in, gently pulling Doug back. Her voice was calm, but her eyes were filled with concern. "It's not worth it. He's not worth it. Let's just go to class."
Doug glanced at her, and his clenched fists slowly loosened. For a second, the fire in his veins cooled.
"Heh, who said I was making trouble?"
Doug gave Lin Yi a light slap on the shoulder—but with enough force to make the pampered rich kid buckle at the knees and crash to the ground on his butt.
Smack!
"Mr. Qiu! Over here!"
Right then, Lin Yi's lackeys brought over Qiu Guohua, the school's no-nonsense Discipline Director—the same man who'd conveniently looked the other way earlier when Lin Yi had been the one starting trouble.
"What's going on here? Fighting at the school gates?! Which class are you from?! What's your name?!"
Qiu Guohua stormed over like an angry storm cloud, locking his eyes on Doug immediately.
"Mr. Qiu, he's Doug Feng from Class 2, Senior Three. I was just walking with some classmates when he came out of nowhere and shoved me to the ground!"
Lin Yi, like a seasoned actor, brushed himself off and played the victim to perfection. His cronies chimed in without missing a beat.
"Yeah, we were just walking! He came outta nowhere!"
"He totally sucker-punched Lin Yi for no reason!"
Doug stayed silent. This wasn't his first time watching the powerful rewrite reality. But before he could speak, Linjie stepped up.
"Mr. Qiu, that's not what happened. Lin Yi and his gang—"
"Enough! Both of you, to the Discipline Office. The rest of you, back to class! Now!"
Qiu Guohua barked the order, and the crowd scattered. Doug had no choice but to follow the man.
On the way, Lin Yi leaned in and sneered.
"See? I told you. My dad runs the city's Education Bureau. Even the principal has to kiss his ring. But hey—nice moves back there. You've got potential. Why not join me? Be my muscle. I'll make sure you live easy, no more detentions or demerits."
Doug didn't answer. What was the point? He could already see through Lin Yi's hollow threats. With the Favorability System, he had a future Lin Yi couldn't even imagine. What Doug needed now wasn't revenge—it was favor points.
Power. Real power.
Once they got to the office, Lin Yi whispered something to Qiu Guohua, who immediately nodded and waved him off.
"Go on, Lin Yi. Don't be late to class. I'll handle the rest."
"Ha! Doug Feng, you just wait. That demerit's going on your record, and next time you even look at me wrong, I'll bury your chances at the college entrance exam. Unless…"
Lin Yi paused at the door and flashed a smug grin.
"You change your mind about working for me."
With that, he strutted out, leaving Doug and Mr. Qiu face-to-face in the quiet room.
To be continued…