Chapter 45: Who Dares Bully My Little Sister?

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The news from Zhou Bing was accurate. Sun Hui had indeed found people to deal with Yang Tian again, and this time, he had spent a lot of money hiring some street thugs.

Thursday afternoon, during PE class.

Yang Tian was playing table tennis with Huang Juan when one of Yang Xueling’s classmates came running over in a hurry.

“Are you Yang Tian?” the little girl asked, panting heavily.

“Yes, that’s me. What’s wrong?” Yang Tian replied with a gentle smile.

“It’s bad, Yang Tian! Xueling’s been cornered by some eighth-graders and street punks in the woods over there. She’s so scared she’s crying!” the girl blurted out anxiously.

“What?” Yang Tian immediately dropped his paddle and sprinted off, cursing inwardly at whoever dared bully his sister.

Huang Juan, shocked, quickly followed.

When they reached the grove on the east side of the sports field, Yang Tian saw that it was indeed Sun Hui tormenting Yang Xueling. He stood there swaggering, full of arrogance, while Yang Xueling crouched on the ground, sobbing.

“Xueling? Sun Hui, what are you up to now?” Yang Tian rushed in front of his sister and glared at Sun Hui.

Sun Hui had been taught a lesson by Yang Tian several times before and usually didn’t dare provoke him. He must have found thugs even more formidable than Zhou Bing’s gang, or he wouldn’t be so brazen.

“She can’t even play shuttlecock, so I thought I’d teach her!” Sun Hui sneered, his laugh grating.

It was obvious to anyone that Yang Tian cherished his sister, and Sun Hui’s bullying was aimed at him—first tormenting his sister to provoke him, then letting the thugs beat him up, aiming to multiply his pain.

“Sun Hui, you’d better stop messing with me! I don’t want to fight,” Yang Tian said through gritted teeth. Seeing Xueling crying over her broken shuttlecock, which had been lovingly handmade by the Yang couple, Yang Tian’s anger flared.

“Haha... Yang Tian, stop pretending to be tough! See those guys over there? They’re my buddies. At a word from me, they’ll cripple you. They’re way tougher than Zhou Bing’s lot!” Sun Hui crowed, lifting his chin. Back in seventh grade, he was just arrogant, not malicious. Now in eighth grade, as he grew older, his temper had become increasingly unruly, and he often went out drinking with street punks.

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“You wouldn’t dare! This is school property!” Huang Juan rushed over, her voice trembling. She feared Yang Tian would end up like Xueling, bullied and humiliated.

“School? My dad just treated the principal to dinner last night. As long as I don’t kill you, the principal won’t do a thing!” Sun Hui’s smile was lewd and vile.

“You—” Huang Juan wanted to argue back, but Yang Tian stopped her. He knew Sun Hui had changed; reasoning was useless now.

“So what if your grades are better? So what if your handwriting’s neater? Even if you’re good at fighting, does it matter? You’re still getting bullied by me! Let me tell you, Yang Tian, don’t try anything stupid. If I shout, you’ll be beaten to a pulp!” Sun Hui ranted, venting his resentment and trying to intimidate him.

“Sun Hui, you’re going too far!” Huang Juan couldn’t help but speak up, her nerves stretched thin with worry for Yang Tian.

“Too far? Ha! I’ll show you just how far I can go today! What’s the use of good grades? Can your family afford to treat the principal to dinner? Can you pay street bosses for drinks? Listen, even though we’re young, we should know who really rules this world—those with money and power!” Sun Hui strolled over to Huang Juan, lifting his hand to touch her face.

Yang Tian’s fury ignited. In a flash, he stepped between Sun Hui and Huang Juan, raised his right hand, and slapped Sun Hui hard across the face.

The blow was so swift that Sun Hui couldn’t dodge it at all!

The slap vented all of Yang Tian’s anger, and Sun Hui’s left cheek instantly swelled. Crying, he shouted to the thugs nearby, “Brother Yang, Brother Jie! This kid dares hit me—teach him a lesson!”

The thugs, having taken Sun Hui’s money, immediately moved in when they saw him struck.

Compared to Zhou Bing’s gang, these street thugs were indeed tougher—they were all young men in their twenties at least.

“Yang Tian, if I don’t beat you to a pulp today, I’m not Sun Hui!” With his backup arriving, Sun Hui regained his arrogance, gritting his teeth.

“Don’t you dare! Or I’ll report you to the teachers!” Huang Juan, panicked, stepped protectively in front of Yang Tian and Xueling, her face taut with anxiety.

“You’re Yang Tian?” The thugs didn’t attack. Instead, they exchanged glances, surprising both Sun Hui and Huang Juan, while Yang Tian calmly readied himself for a fight.

The military dagger Zhou Bing had given him was hidden at his waist. With it, he feared neither these thugs nor even terrorists.

“Yes, that’s him! Brother Yang, Brother Jie—teach him a lesson!” Sun Hui urged, venom in his tone.

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“Don’t!” Xueling called out feebly, joining hands with Huang Juan and standing protectively in front of Yang Tian.

“Brother Tian, so you’re the famous Brother Tian! Our boss, Tiger, admires you greatly. When he heard from Zhou Bing that you know martial arts, he got so excited he lost interest in women. He’s eager to learn boxing from you!” Two blond thugs approached Yang Tian with admiration, bowing respectfully.

This scene left Sun Hui, Huang Juan, and Xueling all dumbfounded. Sun Hui was frozen with fear, while Huang Juan and Xueling were utterly confused.

“Tiger?” Yang Tian smiled faintly. Although he remained in a defensive stance, he understood the situation. Zhou Bing had mentioned Luohe Tiger—this very boss the thugs referenced. Luohe Tiger was a real gangster, but he had brains. He wouldn’t easily provoke someone as skilled as Yang Tian. Gangsters preyed on the weak, extorted money, and muddled through life; they didn’t dare court real trouble.

“Yes! Tiger’s wanted to invite you for drinks and women, but since you’re still in school, he’s been waiting for the right time!” If even Luohe Tiger dared not offend Yang Tian, these thugs wouldn’t dream of it.

“Brother Yang, Brother Jie...” Sun Hui persisted, though his bravado was fading fast—after all, he’d paid them handsomely.

“Get lost! Can’t you see we’re talking to Brother Tian?” one of the thugs snarled, grabbing Sun Hui by the collar.

“But I paid you!” Sun Hui protested indignantly.

Wham!

Another thug stepped forward and slapped him hard. “If you dare say another word, we’ll beat you up at your school gate three times a day—morning, noon, and night. Got it?”

Sun Hui’s mouth bled from the blow, and he ran off sobbing.

After those thugs left, Yang Tian dragged Sun Hui into the restroom for a thorough beating, then made him apologize to Xueling and buy her a new shuttlecock.

Even Luohe Tiger wouldn’t cross Yang Tian; Sun Hui had no choice but to accept defeat. That evening, he brought five shuttlecocks to Xueling and, with a tear-streaked face, apologized.

“If you behave, my brother won’t beat you anymore! Here, have this,” Xueling said with a smile, handing Sun Hui a big roll cake Yang Tian had just bought to cheer her up.

Sun Hui hadn’t expected this at all. Overcome by emotion and his sense of defeat, he burst into tears...