She desperately hoped that in a fit of rage, the boy would impulsively strike her, thus allowing her retaliation to escape the classification of harming the innocent. However, to her dismay, all he did was incessantly berate her without any intention of resorting to physical confrontation.
Hiss… Wasn't he the one who got sent here for fracturing someone's bones in a brawl? How could he endure this?
Seeing Song Shi merely throw her book with no follow-up, Chen Lishu sighed in relief, feeling gratified.
At last, she had learned to control her temper.
"Classmate, please take your seat so we can resume our lesson."
"I refuse to!" The boy, clutching his forehead with one hand, craned his neck to question Chen Lishu, "Didn't you see her throw something at me? Aren't you the enforcer? Why don't you deduct her points? Why not send her to the small dark room?"
The classmates nearly erupted in laughter; clearly, he was unaware he had just danced with danger.
"What are you laughing at? You're all covering for each other! I'm going to tell my mom! I want to go back to Yanming!" As he spoke, tears began to trickle down his face.
Song Shi: Is he truly feeling aggrieved?!
She reached out and pushed the back of the boy seated in front of her.
He jolted at her touch, quickly twisting around with a look of sheer terror.
Song Shi: "…"
She made an effort to maintain her expressionless facade. "Is there a Yanming enforcer present in class today?"
"Yes, yes, yes! Class 666!"
"Are you rapping?"
"What?"
It seemed such a thing did not exist in this world.
"Never mind."
Song Shi was aware of where Class 666 was located—opposite the restroom.
She stood up and grasped the arm of the boy next to her.
"What are you doing? Let go of your filthy hands! Don't touch me!"
Simultaneously, Song Shi seized his other arm, twisting it behind his back to immobilize him.
She propelled him out of the classroom, heading toward the class across from the restroom.
"What are you doing?! Let go! Where are you taking me?"
Arriving at the entrance of Class 666, Song Shi peered through the window and spotted a female enforcer conducting a lesson.
Leaning closer to the still-struggling boy, she whispered, "Inside is your Yanming enforcer. Share your troubles with her; she'll advocate for you. Oh, and you can also have her deduct points from me and send me to the small dark room—"
Before she could finish, he began to bellow, "Ah, Teacher Xu! I'm being bullied!"
Clearly, he recognized the teacher inside.
Song Shi quickly released her grip and pressed herself against the wall.
He burst through the door, dramatically recounting his plight to the teacher, who had no choice but to halt her instruction.
"Someone is bullying me, Teacher Xu! Let me go back; call my mom! I don't want to continue my studies…"
After listening for a short while, Song Shi rubbed her ears and slipped away.
…
Song Shi didn't dwell on this minor incident.
During afternoon recess, she made her usual trip to the playground in search of Yang Miao.
However, she did not find her.
Only her little follower sat alone in a corner of the playground, glancing around nervously.
As Song Shi approached, the little follower's eyes brightened at the sight of her, but upon remembering that she was now alone in the presence of Song Shi, she recoiled slightly.
"Where's Yang Miao?" Song Shi inquired.
"The school administration called her away," the little follower replied timidly.
"When did that happen?"
"After you guys fought this morning."
Song Shi furrowed her brow, "Hasn't she returned yet?"
The little follower shook her head, anxiety mirrored in her eyes.
Song Shi inexplicably recalled the long-absent Dai Ming. "Has this happened before where she was called away for so long?"
The little follower thought for a moment. "No. Usually, the elder sister stays by my side; now that she's gone, I don't even dare to wander around."
…She had unwittingly offended many people.
Seeing Song Shi turn to leave, the little follower quickly stood up to follow her. "Where are you going? Take me with you!"
Song Shi, possessing considerable strength though perhaps not rivaling Yang Miao, found that there were few in this school who dared to provoke her.
She turned back to the little follower, "It's best if you don't follow me right now."
The little follower halted, perplexed. "Why?"
Song Shi's expression soured, grappling with the fact that this little follower lacked the wits to understand her situation. How could she explain it clearly?
Perhaps, unbeknownst to her, there were eyes watching them from the shadows.
Those eyes belonged to individuals bought off by Wang Danyu, who observed her daily, seeking out those with grievances against her who were also formidable, like the recently vanished Dai Ming and the now-absent Yang Miao.
"Is Yang Miao connected to the black market in the West Suburbs?" Song Shi asked.
The little follower, unsure why Song Shi was asking, proudly tilted her chin, "Of course! My older sister is—"
She abruptly fell silent, recalling her sister's warning to not disclose their secrets to outsiders.
Song Shi had lost interest in whatever followed; she had already confirmed her suspicions about Yang Miao's ties to the black market.
Wang Danyu was preparing to eliminate her.
By organizing those connected to the West Suburbs to take action, even if the teachers from the Abilities Division investigated, Wang Danyu could simply label it revenge, thus keeping her hands clean. Even the upper echelons of the Abilities Division would have no power over West Suburbs.
Yet, the holiday was still two weeks away; it was unlikely that Wang Danyu would call them away so soon.
Was she planning to advance the holiday?
Now, it simply needed verification.
If the break were indeed moved up, it would substantiate Wang Danyu's intentions.
Then, at that moment… Song Shi gazed at the little follower before her, who appeared rather oblivious.
Yang Miao had always treated this little follower well, suggesting she held a special significance.
If the benefits Wang Danyu offered were substantial enough, Yang Miao might side with her against Song Shi.
Currently, she was no match for Yang Miao, and with Dai Ming and potentially more people in the picture, she was merely fish on the chopping board.
Thus, this little follower was a means to threaten Yang Miao.
Of course, she still needed to verify whether this little follower's connection to Yang Miao was strong enough to go that far.
Now was not the time for that verification.
There may still be prying eyes watching; her friendly demeanor with this little follower might cause Wang Danyu to abandon Yang Miao in favor of someone else.
While Yang Miao possessed strengths, she also had vulnerabilities, and Song Shi was somewhat familiar with Yang Miao's techniques. Any other person would hardly compare to Yang Miao.
With everything sorted in her mind, Song Shi looked at the little follower.
"Your sister is in danger; there are people watching from the vicinity. What's your dorm number? I'll come by at night to discuss this in detail."
The little follower's expression changed dramatically, genuinely frightened by Song Shi's words. "482."
"I'm likely to attract undue suspicion by staying with you; I'll leave first," Song Shi said softly.
"Okay."
Song Shi turned and walked toward the academic building.
Everything she had hypothesized just now was the final desperate struggle of a situation spiraling out of control.
The risks were far too great.
For now, she would take the safest course of action.
The next class was Chen Lishu's, who should still be in his office.
Song Shi hurried to Chen Lishu's office, knocking on the door. When no one answered, she pushed the door forcefully only to find it locked.
She then checked the other offices designated for the teachers from Renxi Middle School.
Any teacher from Renxi would suffice.
She knocked on door after door, yet found no one.
A control officer passed by, and Song Shi grabbed his arm to inquire but received the reply, "All teachers from Renxi Middle School have been called to attend an emergency meeting."
"May I use your lightbrain? It's urgent."
The officer shook his head firmly. "No, that violates school regulations. You should return to class."
Song Shi fixed her gaze on the lightbrain on his wrist. If it weren't for the permissions tied to the lightbrain, preventing unauthorized users from accessing it, she would have snatched it away without hesitation.
Returning to the classroom, she was met with an announcement.
Tomorrow was a holiday, and it would last two days.
The rest of the class erupted into cheers, animatedly discussing where they would go and what they would purchase during the break, while only Song Shi remained seated in silence.
"Why such an early holiday?" Song Shi asked aloud.
Substituting for a teacher from another school, Song Shi did not recognize him.
"This is a notification from the school administration. They considered everyone's academic pressure and decided to grant an additional two days off for relaxation."
Academic pressure?
Song Shi was skeptical.
Each day, among the multitude of students in class, scarcely more than five actually paid attention.
How could there possibly be any academic pressure?
Song Shi clutched the corner of her desk tightly.
Wang Danyu!
This time, I will not perish; you shall not escape unscathed!
(End of Chapter)