Chapter 141: The New Classmate, Tian Xiujie

"Well, that actually makes some sense. Come over here and talk." Liu Yunfei led him to the balcony, leaning against the railing and looking far out at the freely soaring pigeons, suddenly sensing how happy they were. People often fantasize about having the wings of a bird to soar freely, but even though he could already fly, why was he still unhappy? Were human desires simply too excessive, or was this society just far too complicated?

As Liu Yunfei pondered this, he casually handed over a cigarette. Sometimes men only needed a cigarette to break the ice—true or false, it made conversation flow a bit easier.

"I used to believe those reports as well, but after seeing this video, I am much more willing to believe you are innocent. Just think about it: would a man who could sacrifice his own life to save a completely unrelated policewoman ever do the things described in the news?"

Liu Yunfei nodded. He did not mention that he actually knew the young policewoman, because he felt that even if she were a total stranger, he would have done the exact same thing. "However, this video of yours cannot directly prove what happened that night."

"That is indeed a problem, but I am a journalist too. They can interview me, and I can interview others. I can track down the eyewitnesses from that time and dig up some news stories that are favorable to you. Besides, the influence of our television station is far greater than that of newspapers." Ma Jun tried to persuade him. Although he claimed he wouldn't conduct interviews, he was simply approaching it from a different angle; he only wanted to gain trust so that Liu Yunfei would willingly submit to an exclusive interview. He was a smart man, and he knew that reporting on rich kids causing trouble no longer held any real news value—in people's minds, a villain was capable of doing anything, no matter how wicked.

The moment Ma Jun accidentally stumbled upon that video, he knew his chance had arrived. Although he was a newcomer at the television station and had yet to gain any real traction, he knew that as long as he seized this opportunity, fame and fortune would naturally follow.

Liu Yunfei was well aware of his motives; anyone could figure it out, and nobody was that selfless. Yet, he indeed needed a media outlet that would support him. Quietly puffing on his cigarette, Liu Yunfei said, "How about this: don't go disturbing those eyewitnesses. You have no idea how complicated the other party's background is. You'll only bring trouble into those people's lives, and their safety might even be threatened. I only need a little help from you, and I guarantee you will get what you need."

"Oh?" Ma Jun thought to himself that talking with a smart person was truly effortless—nothing needed to be spelled out explicitly. Yet, feeling a shred of admiration that Liu Yunfei could still care about the safety of others while being framed with no way to clear his name, he also felt a trace of lingering fear knowing the opposing side possessed a formidable background. But then again, how could anyone achieve success without taking risks? Opportunity often coexisted with peril.

"All I need is for you to broadcast the trial live on the day it takes place." Liu Yunfei smiled with confidence, projecting a somewhat profound aura, though in truth, he had very little certainty inside.

"Ah, that's a minor detail. We frequently cover those kinds of things lately." Ma Jun was, after all, a reporter for legal programs, which was the exact reason he had happened to film that traffic accident in the first place.

"Just make sure you don't make any rash moves beforehand," Liu Yunfei added with a final warning.

After resting for more than a week, Liu Yunfei finally received a call from the principal instructing him and Zhang Xiaoli to return to classes. After all, they were seniors in high school, and their studies could not be delayed any longer.

Early in the morning, the two arrived at the school and walked into the classroom. To his surprise, Liu Yunfei discovered that his seat had been occupied by someone else. The interloper was a tall, handsome young man whose radiant and sunny demeanor was in no way inferior to Liu Yunfei's. He wore a friendly and brilliant smile for everyone he met, but perhaps due to the repulsion between alpha males, the single glance Liu Yunfei exchanged with him made him feel that the smile was thoroughly hypocritical.

Even stranger was the fact that when Teacher Zhu saw Liu Yunfei arrive, she actually told Yu Xiaowei to move to the very back row to give up his seat for Liu Yunfei.

Under normal circumstances, a teacher rearranging students' seating was nothing out of the ordinary, and Liu Yunfei had no grounds to complain. If anyone had reason to object, it should have been Yu Xiaowei.

Once Liu Yunfei sat down and put his bag into the desk drawer, that pretty boy immediately stretched out a hand with eager enthusiasm and said, "I've heard so much about you, the legendary Liu Yunfei. My name is Tian Xiuji. It's a pleasure to meet you, and I hope you'll look out for me."

Liu Yunfei gave his hand a light shake and casually remarked, "There aren't many young men as polite as you in China nowadays."

Unexpectedly, this very ordinary remark caused Tian Xiuji's expression to shift slightly, though he recovered almost instantly.

After class, Liu Yunfei walked over to sit next to Yu Xiaowei, glanced sideways at Tian Xiuji, and asked, "What's his background?"

"He showed up just two days after you were suspended. He transferred from out of town, and he seems to be the son of some mega-rich tycoon—he even drives a Mercedes to school. But the guy is actually pretty decent, has no airs, and doesn't compete with us for chicks, hehe." Yu Xiaowei seemed to have already been won over by that kid, showing not a single shred of resentment about being relegated to the back row.

Just as Liu Yunfei was about to say something, Tian Xiuji walked over as well and generously declared, "Are you guys talking about me? Haha, I'm just living the life of a playboy thanks to my business-owning parents, but I really admire Big Brother Yunfei. How about I treat everyone to a few drinks at a restaurant at noon?"

Ever since another handsome, wealthy student joined Senior Three Class Three—and word got out that this fellow surnamed Tian didn't even have a girlfriend—countless hearts that had broken over Liu Yunfei suddenly revived. After class, the corridor outside the classroom was packed so tightly with girls that it was even more frantic than the days when they used to chase after Liu Yunfei.

Now, the most popular pastime among the boys of Senior Three Class Three was no longer picking up girls, but rather squeezing through crowds of girls. During every short ten-minute break, they would flock to the corridor, shoving back and forth to force their way through the sea of students.

Naturally, these modern-day Zhaoyuns loved to brag about their tallies afterward. "I scored eighteen today."

"Pfft, call that anything? I got more than eighteen just this single recess."

An even more outrageous braggart chimed in, "So what if you brushed against a few skirts? Yesterday, I pushed my way in and out once and came out with eighteen pairs of underwear in my hands!"

"..."

True to his wealthy status, Tian Xiuji treated them to a lavish meal at noon. Liu Yunfei, Yu Xiaowei, and their respective prospective girlfriends headed to the most upscale restaurant near the school. Amidst fine wine and exquisite dishes, glasses clinked as everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. Tian Xiuji drank with hearty, uninhibited enthusiasm, causing everyone's fondness for him to multiply.

"Tian Xiuji, do you want us to set you up with a girlfriend?" The girls seemed to take a particular interest in playing matchmaker.

"Thanks, but I already have a girlfriend back home. I can't betray her," Tian Xiuji replied.

Liu Yunfei thought to himself that this kid genuinely seemed like a good guy; it appeared he had been a bit too suspicious and petty.

With the meal finished, everyone's bond had grown much closer. Liu Yunfei felt that this was a friend worth keeping: wealthy yet devoid of arrogance, handsome yet unplayboyish, humble, polite, bold, and generous. Because they still had afternoon classes, everyone had stuck to drinking beer.

As they walked out of the private dining room after eating, Liu Yunfei patted Tian Xiuji on the shoulder and said, "Brother, tonight I'll treat you to some hard liquor." In truth, Liu Yunfei was completely immune to alcohol poisoning.

While he couldn't get drunk, other people certainly could. Coming from the opposite direction were three drunken louts staggering along. They surrounded the two girls with bleary, intoxicated eyes and leered, "Hey beauties, how much for a good time?"

The three boys quickly stepped forward, pulling Zhang Juan and Zhang Xiaoli behind them. Liu Yunfei said, "These are our girlfriends. If you're looking for company, make a left out the door and check out the hallway." His tone was already quite polite; with the trial fast approaching, he wanted to avoid stirring up unnecessary trouble.

However, some people were simply looking for trouble. The more you tolerated them, the more they assumed you were easy to push around. The three drunks cursed profanely, "Little punks, our crew never plays with damaged goods; we prefer playing with schoolgirls! Scuff off, and once we're done with them, we'll introduce you guys to the Four Seas Gang."

To think they would run into the Four Seas Gang yet again—it seemed these little punks truly refused to stay quiet. Just as Liu Yunfei was preparing to step in and teach them a small lesson, Tian Xiuji lunged forward first, shouting, "You guys take the girls and go, I'll handle these scumbags!"

Liu Yunfei couldn't help feeling a tinge of admiration. This kid really was a reliable friend. Based solely on his willingness to step up in a crisis, could it be that this kid had a few martial arts tricks up his sleeve as well?

With a tiger-like leap, Tian Xiuji threw a fierce punch straight at the face of the tallest and sturdiest drunk. Liu Yunfei thought to himself that this fellow actually seemed to have practiced for a few days, as his form had a somewhat professional posture. However, his physical power was a bit lacking. Still, with those moves, Tian Xiuji should have had no problem subduing these three drunken thugs.

To everyone's surprise, the three drunks suddenly acted as if their alcohol had completely worn off. Their staggering footsteps vanished instantly; their expressions turned solemn, and their movements showed seamless coordination.

As Tian Xiuji closed in on the burly thug, the three men immediately and methodically dispersed into a triangle formation. Liu Yunfei suddenly felt a jolt in his chest—this posture and aura were things he had previously only felt around Mafia members and Italian secret agents.

These three drunks were far more than mere gangsters; it was glaringly obvious that they had undergone specialized training, making them formidable soldiers at the very least. To think the Four Seas Gang had people like this among their ranks. By this point, Tian Xiuji was already at a disadvantage. His initial strike missed, and his momentum was spent. Seizing the exact moment, the three drunks closed in and launched a barrage of heavy punches all over Tian Xiuji's body.

Sure enough, having received professional training, they mastered the timing with pinpoint accuracy. Confirming his suspicions, Liu Yunfei sprang forward, blocking a punch aimed directly at Tian Xiuji's face. Seeing another person jump into the fray, the drunk without hesitation lashed out with a punch straight at Liu Yunfei's face.

Pushing Tian Xiuji aside with his feet firmly planted like roots, Liu Yunfei met the oncoming drunk with a punch of his own. The thug's fist collided as if striking a slab of iron, and a wave of agonizing pain shot through his hand. His fingers instantly went into spasms, curling inward automatically, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't straighten them out again—his tendons were undoubtedly ruptured from the impact.

Having landed his first punch, Liu Yunfei did not pause. He grabbed another drunk's arm, transforming his fist into an open palm, and delivered a sharp chop to the man's wrist, instantly inflicting a comminuted fracture. While that drunk was clutching his wrist and weeping tears of pain, the final thug was grabbed firmly by the throat by Liu Yunfei.

The drunk could only hear a grinding, cracking sound emerging from his own windpipe, knowing that Liu Yunfei could snap his neck at any second. Paralyzed with terror, the man's eyes dilated in sheer panic, and a desperate, gurgling plea for mercy escaped his throat.

"Weren't you guys acting pretty tough? Still want the schoolgirls or not? Huh?" Liu Yunfei applied a tiny bit more pressure.

The drunk frantically shook his head. "You bastards, if I don't teach you a lesson, you'