The principal's office smelled like lemon cleaner and dread. Li sat stiffly in a plastic chair, recounting the incident to Principal Vance, a stern woman with sharp eyes, while Mrs. Davies took notes. Brad, Derek, and Mike sat across the room, radiating sullen fury under the watchful eye of another guard. Derek still looked pale.
"...and then Derek grabbed me from behind," Li finished, his voice calm, channeling [Quick Thinking] to keep his story clear and consistent. "I was dazed from Brad's punch. I stomped on Derek's foot to get free, and when he let go, I elbowed back instinctively. Then I pushed Brad away because he was coming at me again." He didn't mention the system, the skills, the calculated stomp. Just self-defense.
Brad sneered. "He's lying! He attacked Derek for no reason! Then shoved me!"
"Shut up, Jenkins," Vance said without looking at him. She studied Li. "You've never been in trouble before, Li. This seems... out of character. Jenkins, Thompson, Miller – your files are less spotless. Explain why three of you were surrounding him at his locker."
Silence. They had no good answer. Vance sighed. "Detention. All three of you. Two weeks. Every afternoon. And Jenkins, one more outburst like that in my office, it's suspension." She turned to Li. "Self-defense is one thing, Li. But escalating violence isn't the answer. Be smarter. One week detention for you, starting tomorrow. Use it to catch up on homework."
Li nodded. Detention sucked, but it was a slap on the wrist compared to Brad's crew. And he saw the fury in Brad's eyes – detention meant missing football practice. That hurt him.
Walking out of the office, the whispers started immediately. "Did you hear? Li fought back!" "Took down Derek!" "Brad looked pissed!" People looked at him differently. Not with fear, not yet. With curiosity. A wary respect. The "Not a Complete Ghost" reputation was solidifying into something more tangible: "The Kid Who Fought Back."
[REPUTATION UPDATE: "Oakridge Enigma"]
Effect: Increased attention (positive & negative). Low-level bullies less likely to initiate confrontation. High-level threats (like Brad) more determined but potentially more cautious. Teachers more observant.
Detention that week was quiet torture. Sitting in a silent room for an hour after school, supervised by a bored teacher. But Li used it. He brought his books. [Focused Study Lv.1] combined with his INT 16 made homework fly. He completed the final part of the [WEEKEND CHAIN QUEST: KNOWLEDGE CONQUEST - PART 3/3] right there, earning +100 XP, +1 INT (INT: 17!), and the final [Basic Problem Solving] fragment.
[SKILL UNLOCKED: BASIC PROBLEM SOLVING Lv.1]
Effect: +5% success rate when attempting to solve complex non-combat problems (academic, puzzles, social strategies). Reduces time required for analytical tasks.
The three fragments merged into a solid skill icon in his mental interface. Useful. Very useful. He also hit Level 5 (175/500 XP) just from study and detention compliance XP.
He saw Brad, Derek, and Mike in detention too, radiating hatred. Brad especially looked like a caged animal. "This ain't over, Wei," Brad muttered once when the teacher stepped out. "You got lucky."
Li just looked at him, not with fear, but with cold assessment. His status screen flickered in his mind's eye. STR 12.5. DEF 9.5 (+2). [Fighting Spirit] ready to ignite. [Theoretical Combat Lv.2] humming. "Luck had nothing to do with it, Brad," Li said, his voice low and steady. "Try again. See what happens." He turned back to his textbook.
Brad slammed his fist on the desk but said nothing. The threat hung in the air, thick and dangerous. But Li felt a grim satisfaction. The balance of power had shifted. Slightly. Just enough. He wasn't prey anymore. He was a problem. And problems needed solutions. Li Wei was working on his.