Chapter Twenty-Three: Fight, Xiao Lin (Part One)

"Xiao Lin, I'm heading home first. See you tomorrow!" After the last class in the afternoon, Wang Yuqing gave Xiao Lin a sweet smile and a wave. She then left the classroom, walking home with Tan Linlin.

Xiao Lin reminded her to be careful, then began tidying up the mess of books on his desk.

"Boss Xiao, let's not eat at the cafeteria tonight," Xu Tong said, approaching Xiao Lin. "Fatty said there's a new restaurant on the snack street outside school. Let's go try it." Since Wang Yuqing's arrival, Xu Tong had started going home alone. It suited him well; he enjoyed the newfound freedom. Now, he always had dinner with Xiao Lin and the others before heading home.

"No thanks. You guys go ahead. I'll eat at the cafeteria with the Doctor. After that, we'll go to the study room."

"What?" Xu Tong, Wang Tao, and Yuan Weiye all thought they'd misheard.

Lin Xudong, still dazed, mumbled, "I'm going to the study room to do some practice papers. What are you going there for, Xiao Lin?"

Seeing their astonished faces, Xiao Lin lazily stretched. "Ah, in order to make you guys take me singing, I have to start working hard! Let’s go, Doctor." Xiao Lin walked over to Lin Xudong's desk, grabbed him by the neck, and hauled him up.

Xu Tong and the others suddenly understood.

"Go ahead, go ahead. The outcome was decided long ago! Let’s go, Little Taozi, Oddball, time for a feast," Xu Tong said, throwing Xiao Lin a look that spelled inevitable defeat, then called Wang Tao and Yuan Weiye.

"Hey, Doctor, after you get to the study room, don’t answer any of Xiao Lin’s questions," Wang Tao added.

"Damn," Xiao Lin cursed, seeing Wang Tao's sly expression.

"If we want a clean victory, we can't give you any chance to win," the four replied in unison.

Xiao Lin rolled his eyes. Truly, he’d chosen the wrong friends.

In the school cafeteria.

"Xiao Lin, why did you and Gao Zheng shake hands for so long at lunch today? Your faces were both pale. Why did a handshake feel so tense?" Lin Xudong asked as they ate.

Xiao Lin set down his chopsticks but didn't answer. Instead, he asked, "Doctor, do you know Gao Zheng’s background?"

Lin Xudong recited Gao Zheng's profile. In Innovation High School, everyone knew about Gao Zheng—except Xiao Lin, apparently.

"Why are you asking?" Lin Xudong wondered. Xiao Lin never asked such questions before.

"No reason, just curious. Let’s hurry up and eat. We need to get to the study room," Xiao Lin replied, offering no explanation.

Xiao Lin sensed hostility from Gao Zheng but couldn't figure out why. He had never known Gao Zheng before. Shaking his head, Xiao Lin mocked himself, Who cares? If trouble comes, I'll deal with it. I'm not afraid of him.

After eating, the two headed straight to the study room. Innovation High School’s study rooms weren’t in the teaching building but in a separate building just in front of the student dorms—probably to make it easier for students to get back to their rooms, Xiao Lin guessed.

He walked up to a study room, about to enter, when Lin Xudong stopped him. Xiao Lin looked back in confusion. Lin Xudong shook his head, "This one's full. Follow me."

"Full? How can you tell? You haven’t even gone in."

Lin Xudong nodded toward the door, indicating Xiao Lin should check for himself. Xiao Lin, stubbornly refusing to believe, pushed open the door. Inside were just over twenty people. Each study room in Innovation High School had sixty seats, and there were ten study rooms in total. Xiao Lin had chosen the fifth.

"Doctor, look. Plenty of empty seats—how can you say it's full?" Xiao Lin called to Lin Xudong, who stood outside. Lin Xudong said nothing, pointing at the chairs, signaling Xiao Lin to look closer.

Xiao Lin walked a few steps to the nearest empty seat. One glance, and he was stunned—a note sat on the chair, reading: "This seat is reserved. If you have any concerns, call me." A phone number followed. He checked the next empty seat. No note, but a pink backpack sat on the desk—meaning it was taken.

He checked several more. Unsurprisingly, all were reserved. The most absurd was someone who had left their pajamas draped over the chair.

Frustrated, Xiao Lin left the study room, dejectedly saying, "Doctor, why are there so many reserved seats?"

"You’re too naive. There are only so many seats. If you don’t reserve ahead of time, you’ll be left standing," Lin Xudong replied.

"But aren’t they afraid their stuff will get stolen? And even if they reserve, what if someone ignores it and sits down? When the owner comes back and insists, are they supposed to fight it out?"

"Stolen? Don’t you know the study rooms are monitored? There’s an administrator, too. Before the owner arrives, you can sit and study, but once they return, you must give up the seat. That's the rule. Anyone who breaks it… hmph, they won’t be allowed in again," Lin Xudong said, casting Xiao Lin a look as if at a rookie.

Xiao Lin stood there, mouth agape, unable to reply. He'd never used the study rooms before.

"Come on, follow me," Lin Xudong said, walking ahead like a leader, while Xiao Lin trailed behind, feeling defeated.

Lin Xudong led Xiao Lin to the first study room, which was nearly full. Only a few seats remained in the first row. Lin Xudong headed straight for the middle of the first row.

He sat in the third seat and said to Xiao Lin, "Come, sit beside me."

But Xiao Lin saw people on both sides. How could he sit there—kick someone out?

Just as Xiao Lin wondered, Lin Xudong turned to the boy on his left and said, "This seat will be my friend’s from now on! Hand me your book later, I’ll mark the key points for you."

To Xiao Lin’s surprise, the boy wasn’t angry—instead, he smiled broadly. "Thanks, Brother Dong! I’ll move now." He left his math book, said he'd come back for it later, and happily vacated the seat, as if he'd struck gold.

Xiao Lin was dizzy with confusion. He didn’t know that Lin Xudong ranked in the top five of the school; the points he marked were almost always on the exams, provided you could solve them for extra credit.

With a wry smile, Xiao Lin sat down, pulled out some practice papers, and started working. Lin Xudong asked, "Want me to mark the key points for you?"

Wang Tao and the others had joked about not helping Xiao Lin, but it was just in jest. Of course, it wasn’t serious.

"No thanks, I'll do it myself," Xiao Lin refused. He wasn’t about to sell himself short—he still had confidence. Seeing Xiao Lin’s refusal, Lin Xudong didn’t insist and turned to his own work.

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