Chapter Three: Kick, Kick, Kick

“When you were still very young, your mother fell gravely ill. In the end, she told me she wanted you to be raised with frugality. She wanted me to train you for three years, to let you be independent for three years. So as soon as you graduated from middle school, I made you go out and earn your own money. After these three years of training, I think you’ve done pretty well. That’s why I’m telling you about our family’s situation now,” Yang Jiayun explained why he had made Yang Le work.

“Every summer and winter break, as soon as you got your paycheck, I’d drag you off to a hotel for a feast. That was just to make sure you didn’t have too much money on hand. It’s an eternal truth that men go astray when they have money. Even though you were just a boy at the time, I didn’t want you to take a wrong turn, so I had to grit my teeth and swindle you a little. But the money I took from you, I gave back later for your meals,” Yang Jiayun continued, explaining why he always took Yang Le’s wages.

Listening to all this, Yang Le felt his father deserved a perfect score for his dedication. To fulfill his mother’s last wish, Yang Jiayun had truly put his heart into it.

“Dad, what are we doing here?” Yang Le asked curiously as his father parked the car in front of a nightclub.

“Just follow me,” Yang Jiayun replied, striding straight into the bar. Yang Le trailed behind.

Inside a private room, Yang Jiayun called out, “Tiger, find a few pure and innocent ones. Tonight, let my son experience something new.”

“Understood, Boss Yang,” Tiger replied obsequiously.

“Young Master Yang, what kind do you prefer? I’ll go find them for you,” Tiger asked Yang Le with respect.

“I don’t need it, Dad,” Yang Le replied firmly, leaving no room for negotiation.

How could he not understand his father’s intentions? Bringing his own son to find women—this was wild enough. When he entered the bar, Yang Le couldn’t help but feel a little tempted seeing the provocatively dressed crowd. But in the end, he was conservative by nature and didn’t want to give his first time to someone random.

“Alright! If you don’t want it, I won’t force you. If you ever change your mind, just come find Zhao Tiger here,” Yang Jiayun said, not pressing the matter any further.

“Son, do your best to pursue Old Song’s daughter. When the time comes, let your old man come eat wedding sweets,” he added, shifting the topic just as quickly.

“Dad, what do you mean ‘when you come back’? Where are you going?” Yang Le caught the underlying meaning in his father’s words.

“Your mom’s been gone for so many years, and now that you’ve passed your test, it’s time for your old man to seek true love again. Work hard, son. Don’t let your dad find love while you’re still single!” Yang Le was left speechless; his father could say absolutely anything.

“With all your money, doesn’t any kind of woman you want just throw herself at you? Just pick one at random, and she’ll say you’re her true love. I definitely can’t compete with you.”

Tiger listened to the father and son’s conversation, his worldview crumbling. Was this really how the wealthy spoke?

“I’m going to another city and pretend to be broke. If someone still falls for your old man under those circumstances, then I’ll know I’ve found true love. Anyway, I’m off now. If you need money, just give me a call,” Yang Jiayun said, and with that, he disappeared as quickly as he came.

This time, Yang Le didn’t follow. Instead, he chatted with Tiger for a while and had a few drinks. That night, the two became sworn brothers.

In the end, Tiger personally drove Yang Le home. The son of a rich tycoon—of course Tiger had to curry favor. When Yang Le got home, he glanced at the clock—it was already past eleven. Normally, he’d be asleep by now, but that night, he lay awake.

The next day, with dark circles under his eyes, Yang Le headed to school. On the path beside the sports field, he ran into Pan Xiang and Xia Tingting, who had just parked their car.

“Get out of my way!” Pan Xiang barked as he passed Yang Le.

“Screw you,” Yang Le retorted, kicking Pan Xiang squarely in the stomach.

Pan Xiang was knocked off his feet, rolling on the ground.

“What’s wrong with you, Yang Le? Stop pestering me. I’ll never like you,” Xia Tingting shrieked, her words stabbing into Yang Le’s ears. She helped Pan Xiang up.

“I’ll kill you!” Pan Xiang roared, charging at Yang Le again. Yang Le calmly watched the round, rolling figure barrel toward him and landed another kick.

Pan Xiang went down once more, this time rolling several times across the ground.

“As if you’re worth my time,” Yang Le said coolly, turning and walking toward the classroom without looking back.

“Yang Le, I’ll kill you!” Pan Xiang shouted after him, shaking his fist as Yang Le disappeared from view.

The onlookers began to whisper among themselves.

“So that’s Yang Le? Didn’t people say he was a wimp yesterday?”

“Yeah, I heard he didn’t dare say a word yesterday. Now he’s bold enough to kick Pan Xiang? Something must’ve happened to him.”

“That kick was so cool! I want to have his babies.”

“I want to have his babies too, but since he’s offended Pan Xiang, maybe I’d better not.”

As soon as Yang Le entered the classroom, Li Yifei stood up from his seat, blocking Yang Le’s path and taunting him under his breath, “Hey, Mr. Cuckold, didn’t sleep last night? Still pining for your Tingting? I bet she spent the night in Pan Xiang’s bed.”

“A good dog doesn’t block the way,” Yang Le replied, giving Li Yifei a disdainful look.

“You little punk! Are you looking to die?” Li Yifei snapped.

With a thud, Yang Le kicked Li Yifei, sending him sprawling onto his back, knocking over several desks as he fell.

Li Yifei’s lackeys, Zhao Yu and the others, finally reacted and rushed over to teach Yang Le a lesson, but Li Yifei stopped them.

“Don’t move. Help me up first,” Li Yifei ordered.

“Let me beat him up for you, Yifei,” Zhao Yu said, clenching his fists, ready to go at a single word from Li Yifei.

“Don’t touch him. Didn’t you hear me?” Li Yifei said, smacking Zhao Yu on the back of the head. “Come on, let’s go to the teacher’s office.”

In the past, when Yang Le had no money, he could only endure in silence. Now that he knew his father was a wealthy tycoon with a vast network at his back, what was there to fear? If something didn’t feel right, he’d just fight back.

Class was about to start, but Li Yifei didn’t care. He led his lackeys to the office.

“Yang Le, how could you hit someone?” After Li Yifei left, Song Feier began to lecture Yang Le.

“He was asking for it,” Yang Le replied coolly, remembering what Song Yiming had said. He couldn’t believe he used to have a crush on Xia Tingting—Song Feier was far more beautiful. He needed to work harder and not let Director Song down.

“He was asking for it, but you still hit him! Li Yifei has already gone to report you in the office. You might get demerits for this,” Song Feier said worriedly.

Just as she finished, the class bell rang. The homeroom teacher, Zhang Xinjie, entered the classroom with the math teacher.

“Yang Le, come with me to the office,” Zhang Xinjie called.

“Yang Le, how could you fight? When we get to the office, just apologize to Li Yifei. I’ll smooth things over for you,” Zhang Xinjie said, not wanting Yang Le, who had good grades, to receive disciplinary action.

“Ms. Zhang, I know you mean well, but I won’t apologize,” Yang Le replied stubbornly as they reached the office door.

“Oh, so you won’t apologize? You think hitting people is justified?” The one speaking was Huang Li, the senior grade director.

Li Yifei had done him plenty of favors—cigarettes, alcohol, and even cash. When Li Yifei wasn’t in the same class as Song Feier, his parents had pulled strings with the principal to get him transferred into her class, and it was Huang Li who arranged it after several discreet bribes.

Li Yifei’s parents had high hopes: if their son could win over Song Feier, the daughter of the Land Bureau chief, the family’s fortunes would soar.

“We don’t need students like you at First High School. I’m expelling you,” Huang Li declared righteously.

Just a moment earlier, Li Yifei had already told Huang Li to expel Yang Le while Zhang Xinjie was out. If Yang Le had agreed to apologize, Huang Li would have had to settle for a demerit at most. But now, Yang Le’s refusal gave him the perfect excuse.