Chapter 007 The Girl Is the Spoils of War

Walking side by side with Qi Yue across the campus, Lin Yu found himself amid groups of students strolling together. He gazed at the graceful willows lining the paths, the flowerbeds bursting with unknown and delicate blooms, and a sense of being in another world washed over him. For a moment, he was overwhelmed with emotion.

These sights were ones he had never noticed in his previous life. Now, they appeared to him as the most precious and beautiful scenery.

Some say destiny is the majestic symphony Beethoven composed with his fingers after losing his hearing, or the pages of brilliance Ostrovsky wrote in blindness.

They say the symphony of fate must be played with grand passion to be truly magnificent.

But at this moment, Lin Yu felt that this tranquil companionship with Qi Yue—walking together, dreaming together—was happiness enough, surpassing all grandeur. He understood now that sometimes, happiness is just this simple, needing no excess of excitement.

He even thought perhaps he had a touch of artistic temperament.

Yet, the hand-painted Sakuragi Hanamichi on the back of his sky-blue school uniform betrayed him completely…

When the two of them reached the school gate, they saw a confrontation on a patch of ground outside the campus. Two groups faced off, clearly about to fight.

Students had gathered in numbers to watch, keeping a safe distance, obviously wary of getting caught in the melee. The two guards at the gatehouse, meanwhile, chose to ignore the scene as usual.

Of the two sides, one group numbered over twenty, led by a bald man in a black vest, a tattoo exposed on his shoulder. He clenched a cigarette between his teeth, pointing at a student’s head and cursing loudly. With superior numbers, he held absolute advantage and, though shorter than his opponent, exuded fierce confidence.

The one being insulted was a student about one meter eighty tall, with dark skin and a cropped haircut. He was neither fat nor thin, but solidly built. On the back of his uniform, a black dragon had been drawn—vivid and spirited, with an imposing air. The only flaw was that the dragon lacked eyes, making it all the more menacing.

Behind him stood just three others: one towering nearly one meter ninety, another short and skinny as a monkey, not even one meter seventy, and the third about one meter seventy-five, with a face more beautiful than a woman’s.

Four against over twenty, it was clear who was at a disadvantage. And the opposing side wielded sticks and other weapons. Their prospects looked grim.

The sight instantly invigorated Lin Yu, adrenaline surging through his veins, because those four high schoolers were his closest friends.

While many spectators retreated, Lin Yu strode directly to the tattooed leader in black, looking down at him with utter contempt and sneered, “You’re pudgy, looking like an angry bird. What are you showing off for?”

Before anyone could react, he landed a straight right punch to the man’s chest, sending him stumbling backward four or five steps, nearly collapsing.

Lin Yu had studied taekwondo, inspired by Bruce Lee’s leg techniques. He hadn’t stuck strictly to the discipline; his hands were just as capable as his kicks.

“Damn! You disrespect me?” the tattooed man roared after the sudden attack, spat out his cigarette, and crushed it under his foot.

“Brothers, get them! We’ll cripple these punks today—if anything happens, I’ll take the blame!”

With his shout, his gang rushed at Lin Yu and his friends, swinging their sticks.

Seeing this, Lin Yu smiled faintly, thinking this was perfect—he’d needed a release ever since his rebirth and now was the time. Without hesitation, he charged at the tide of thugs, unleashing a barrage of kicks.

His four friends, including the dark-skinned boy, let out excited howls, lined up strategically, and joined the fray.

The scene quickly descended into chaos. The junior high students watching couldn’t help but scream. They’d seen plenty of fights, but never before had the outnumbered side dared to strike first. And now, with Lin Yu joining, there were only five against at least twenty. The disparity seemed obvious.

Several from Class 7, third year, who knew Lin Yu, quietly slipped away as the fight broke out.

Yang Zhilin, passing by the school gate, stopped to watch, concern in her eyes. Soon, she spotted Qi Yue, who was shouting excitedly and even swearing, and hurried over to her, gripping her hand in worry. “There are so many of them. Lin Yu and his friends—will they be alright?”

“Alright? Well, there might be trouble,” Qi Yue replied, seemingly worried.

Then she grinned and added, “If they beat the other side too badly, that might be trouble. Don’t worry—those guys are professional fighters, veterans of countless battles. Each can take on five by themselves. Together, their power multiplies…”

“Really? I’ve only heard from classmates that Lin Yu is fierce in a fight, so everyone’s afraid of him. But are they really as tough as you say? The other side has over twenty men,” Yang Zhilin said doubtfully.

But events soon proved her fears unnecessary. All eyes were fixed on the center of the fight. The five moved like tigers among sheep, felling their opponents with ease. Maintaining a formation akin to a basketball zone defense, they systematically shattered the enemy’s morale.

Lin Yu stood at the front, wild-eyed and reckless, taking blows head-on. With every punch or kick, he roared fiercely.

The gang of outsiders, seeing their side fall one after another while their opponents remained unscathed, soon panicked, losing all previous bravado. They realized they’d hit an iron wall. Their swings grew feebler, their punches soft, and some even considered fleeing.

The outcome was clear. The battle held no suspense.

Qi Yue smiled triumphantly and said, “See? I told you. That tall guy, the tallest one—that’s Zhang Chao, he can take on ten ordinary guys alone. The pretty-faced one is Dai Peng—he looks delicate but hits hardest. The little one, agile as a monkey, is Zhang Zhihong; he’s a bit sly, but his intelligence is unmatched—he’s never lost a fight. As for Lin Yu and the dark-faced Wang Yan, they’re trained in taekwondo and sanda…”

“I never realized boys fighting could be so… thrilling!” For the first time, a flush appeared on Yang Zhilin’s flawless face, clearly excited. As a model student, she’d never watched such a scene with bias before. And now, her favored side, though outnumbered, held the clear advantage.

“Well, some excitement is exclusive to boys. Us girls are meant to be the spoils of victory!” Qi Yue bounced around, waving her little fists with carefree bravado.

“Spoils of victory… you really can imagine things,” Yang Zhilin wiped the cold sweat from her cheek and replied, speechless.