[033] I Am a Good Student

The taller boy, who had just lifted his foot to kick, abruptly stopped when he heard the name "Shen Baoguo."
"Damn..."
The shorter boy, who had been kicked to the ground, climbed up cursing and charged at Fang Chang'an.
Fang Chang'an hadn’t expected this brat to get so riled up after just two hits, ignoring his threats entirely. He was about to teach him another lesson when the taller boy shouted, "Zhao Xu! Wait!"
The boy called Zhao Xu turned and yelled angrily at his companion, "Whose side are you on?"
"You want to get expelled?"
The taller boy seemed calmer, replying first to steady his companion, then turned to Fang Chang'an, "You know Shen Baoguo?"
Most parents in town sent their children up to the county school, so besides Shen Mo, there couldn’t be many with strong connections. Fang Chang'an had only mentioned Shen Baoguo’s name to bluff, never expecting it to be so effective.
Since the other party was wary of that name, empty threats wouldn’t work. After all, Liu Yan must have given them some information, even if he lied to get them here.
Fang Chang'an sized up the taller boy again, saying coolly, "I don’t know him."
He paused briefly, then continued before the other could speak, "But if you lay a finger on me today, tomorrow Shen Mo will go crying to her grandfather, saying she was bullied at school."
"Guess what Shen Baoguo will do then—will he investigate first, or immediately call our school and the students’ parents? Especially if he knows who the parents are."
Since they knew Shen Baoguo, their families probably had some pull. The usual threats didn’t work, so Fang Chang'an had to invoke an even bigger tiger.
The taller boy had been about to talk tough, something like "If you don’t explain, then what," but Fang Chang'an cut him off. He held back, waiting for Fang Chang'an to finish, then stepped forward, his face dark, "You’re in Class Four, so it’s not surprising you know Shen Mo. But how do I know you’re not bluffing?"
"You can try. At worst, I’ll take a beating. But you—or your family—might face consequences. Think it over: is it worth the risk?"
Fang Chang'an smiled, "Oh, and by the way, I ranked first in the whole school on the last placement test. You know who my homeroom teacher is, right?"
The taller boy fell silent.
Zhao Xu asked, "Who’s Shen Baoguo?"
The taller boy didn’t answer, and Fang Chang'an ignored him.
After a few seconds, the taller boy still hadn’t spoken, so Fang Chang'an smiled, "If you’re not going to hit me, I’ll go back to jogging?"
The taller boy stared at him, "Aren’t you afraid of getting beaten up?"
"Of course I am."
Fang Chang'an shrugged, "But my family’s poor. If a beating earns me some compensation, it’s worth it. But if you beat me up and take a few bucks, is it worth it for you?"
The taller boy turned to Zhao Xu, "Let’s go."
Zhao Xu was slow to react, unwilling, and shouted, "We’re not fighting?"

The taller boy ignored him, walked ahead in silence. Fang Chang'an called out, "Wait."
The taller boy stopped, Zhao Xu followed suit.
Fang Chang'an smiled, "You don’t think leaving makes it all over, do you?"
The taller boy walked back to him, sneering, "You’re pretty bold. I don’t have to dirty my hands—think I can’t get someone to mess you up?"
Fang Chang'an grinned, "No matter who it is, I’ll point the finger at you."
"You—"
This boy was a little more mature than most of his peers, but far from truly grown up. Once he backed down, his confidence fractured, and the lines he’d once drawn started retreating.
"You purposely called out Zhao Xu’s name, trying to make him take the fall. Don’t you think, when the school or police investigate, he’ll cover for you?"
Fang Chang'an tilted his head, smiling, "Do you know what the charge for extortion is?"
The taller boy said coldly, "I didn’t touch you."
"I’m the top student in school, excellent in both academics and conduct. Teacher Cheng values me highly, made me class monitor, even invited me to her house for lunch tomorrow, with Shen Mo as company."
"You two probably don’t have good grades—maybe even a record. Especially you; it’s likely you transferred here because you caused trouble in the county."
Fang Chang'an pointed to a puddle still left on the playground, "If I dive into that water, then call my homeroom teacher, telling her I was beaten and robbed of two weeks’ living expenses—"
"When Teacher Cheng arrives and sees me covered in mud, alone at midnight by the snack stand, pitiful, weak, and waiting for someone to stick up for me—"
Fang Chang'an smiled innocently and brightly, "Who do you think she’ll believe?"
"Of course, you two won’t admit it. You didn’t do it. But what do you think Teacher Cheng would think? That you’re clean and upright, or that you’re stubborn and unrepentant?"
The two middle schoolers had never imagined such a scenario. For a moment, neither spoke. Fang Chang'an smiled again, "Or you could just beat me up now and get it over with. The result’s the same, so why not let off some steam?"
The atmosphere froze.
Fang Chang'an wasn’t in a hurry, just stood there, watching them leisurely. Zhao Xu was clearly a bit afraid of the taller boy; he tried several times to speak but didn’t dare.
After a while, the taller boy finally asked, "What do you want?"
"Don’t be nervous. I’m a good student, excellent in both conduct and academics. I don’t extort or blackmail."
Fang Chang'an smiled warmly, "Besides, we don’t have any real animosity. As they say, better to make friends than enemies—more friends, more paths, no need for hard feelings, right?"
The taller boy’s expression softened a little; he nodded but didn’t reply. Fang Chang'an turned to Zhao Xu, "But you, Zhao, seemed to curse me just now?"
Zhao Xu held his breath, wanting badly to curse again—wasn’t Fang Chang'an the one who’d insulted him? He’d been slapped and kicked twice, and Fang Chang'an didn’t mention that.
The taller boy turned and looked at Zhao Xu. The latter was clearly reluctant, but finally lowered his head, "S-sorry."

"It’s fine. My biggest flaw is not holding grudges—I forgive you."
Fang Chang'an smiled even more warmly, "We’re even now, so don’t worry. From now on, we’re friends."
No one replied.
Fang Chang'an asked the taller boy, "How should I address you, senior?"
The taller boy hesitated, then finally said, "Chang Wei."
"Ah, then I’ll call you Brother Wei from now on. I’m Fang Chang'an. We’re formally acquainted."
Fang Chang'an acted perfectly at ease, warmly extending his hand.
Chang Wei hesitated for a second, then shook his hand. He felt an odd discomfort, as if the boy before him wasn’t a seventh grader, but someone from his father’s generation—a distinct, palpable sense of being dominated.
Fang Chang'an asked, "Brother Wei, what does your family do?"
Chang Wei hesitated, and Fang Chang'an smiled, "Don’t worry—I’m just asking. You can tell I’m a genius, smart but poor, no money, no clout. If we work together, maybe we could do something."
Chang Wei hesitated again, then said, "My dad works at the police station."
"A leader?"
"Deputy chief."
Fang Chang'an showed a look of amazement, indicating understanding, "That’s impressive."
Chang Wei shook his head, "We’re poor, too."
Fang Chang'an laughed, "That means your father’s upright and honest."
Chang Wei didn’t reply.
Though the police station was under the county police bureau, the town had no authority over appointments. Still, if the town was dissatisfied, they could petition the county to replace the station chief, and it would usually be approved. The town also allocated funds to the station each year as a bonus, so the leaders' authority wasn’t diminished much.
Chang Wei’s father was only a deputy, nowhere near Shen Baoguo’s level.
More importantly, Chang Wei knew his father wasn’t favored by higher-ups and had little say in the station. That’s why he’d backed off immediately upon hearing Shen Baoguo’s name. If his dad had been a direct subordinate, he wouldn’t have feared Fang Chang'an’s threats.
"Brother Wei, Brother Xu, don’t worry. I promise not to breathe a word about tonight, especially to Shen Mo or Teacher Cheng."
Fang Chang'an smiled reassuringly, then changed the subject, "Where’s Liu Yan?"