The weather today was truly pleasant.
Zhao Lao’er felt exceptionally spirited.
Walking at the front of the group of students, he could feel the wind fluttering his sleeves, making him seem like a hidden martial arts master lurking in a small town.
Xiaocheng No. 2 High School—he had once studied here too.
Unfortunately, he never got to graduate; he was persuaded to leave.
Of course, he would never admit he was persuaded—he always claimed he had dropped out on his own volition. The phrase he said most often was, “To hell with school! I knew back then there was no future in it, so I didn’t bother.”
But in truth, he was still somewhat bothered by it—not just because being suddenly cut off from his peers left him lonely for a while, but because he always wanted to reclaim some dignity.
And now, he finally found a ‘legitimate’ excuse to regain his pride.
Right now!
At this very moment!
He, Zhao Lao’er, was a hero who stood up for the weak and defied tyranny!
Then he planted himself in front of the woman who looked like a walking water bucket.
He lowered his face, sinking his breath into his dantian, then glanced back at the students standing behind him—some hopeful, some uneasy—and spun back around.
“You’re the damn homeroom teacher who looks like a fat pig, the one who got leeches shitting on her face bright and early, right?”
The homeroom teacher raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes; she never expected the man before her to speak so rudely.
In this school, no one dared talk to her like that—even the principal’s scolding never got that vulgar.
“Speak, damn you! What? Lost your voice? Your brain’s rotten? You’re the one who had these little brats come to the shop for haircuts, right? The girls all got crew cuts—are you even human? Oh, I forgot, you don’t even look human! Let me tell you, the old sow next door at Lao Wang’s place is skinnier than you!”
“Where did this lunatic come from? Get out or I’ll call the Security Guard!”
“Only you know how to call the Security Guard? You really think I don’t have connections? Huh?”
“You’re just a troublemaking scoundrel!”
The homeroom teacher tried to hold her ground, then suddenly ran to the corridor railing, leaned over, and shouted down, “Security Guard! Security Guard! How did you let this kind of thug in here?!”
“You’ve got the nerve to answer me properly! Looking like that and still shouting for the Security Guard—tell me, does the Security Guard protect you or do you protect the Security Guard? If a nuke dropped, could you even shield half of it?”
“I don’t have time to waste on an uncultured lunatic like you.”
“When the hell have I ever had any manners? So what if I don’t? I still look more human than you! How the hell did you think it was okay to make a perfectly good girl get a crew cut? Why not just shave her head bald?”
“There are no girls here!”
The homeroom teacher finally lost her temper, not caring that students in the classroom behind were watching, and spat a few curses, “Are you sick in the head? Did a donkey kick you this morning? Or did you eat shit? How else do you explain that filthy mouth of yours?”
“The crap I pull out of Piyanzi is cleaner than the crap coming out of your mouth! Look at this—if that’s not a girl, what the hell is it?”
“That’s a boy!”
Zhao Lao’er laughed at her in anger, leaning back and chuckling loudly, “Look at you—shameless to this degree. Even I, Zhao Lao’er, have to admit defeat! Nowadays, anyone can be a teacher? Then I say I, Zhao Lao’er, can at least be principal!”
Fang Qiang scratched his head, unsure whether he should speak up to prove the haircut subject, Anjing, was really a boy, or just stay out of it.
Just then, the Security Guard uncle came charging up with a riot shield in hand.
“Where’s the thug? Where’s the troublemaker?!”
“That one!”
“Huh? Isn’t that the barber you let in?”
“Who told you that?!”
“I said it myself!”
Zhao Lao’er puffed up his chest proudly.
“So what? Today I came in to tell you that students should have some individuality. Don’t say the hair isn’t long—so what if it’s dyed all kinds of crazy colors? You call yourself a teacher? I think you’re just a fake!”
Fang Qiang swallowed the words he wanted to say, stared at his toes, pretending not to see or hear anything—just like everyone else had done when the owner and his wife argued earlier at the water station.
“Security Guard!!”
The homeroom teacher’s voice was sharp enough to shatter glass.
She was about to explode with anger.
Ever since becoming a teacher, and even back when she was a student, no one had dared speak to her like this.
Or rather, she rarely encountered “low-class” riffraff like this in her daily life.
Actually, Zhao Lao’er’s insults lacked creativity, but his speech was rapid-fire like a machine gun and perfectly clear, each curse drilling straight into her ears—hard not to listen.
“Get out! Or I’ll call the cops!”
The Security Guard, holding his riot shield, immediately stepped in front of the teacher, nervously shouting—mainly because he was shorter than Zhao Lao’er and didn’t look like he could win in a fight.
“Calling the Security Guard, huh? Want me to scram? You guys are so good at calling for backup?”
Zhao Lao’er ripped open his shirt and slammed it onto the ground like he was dropping a bomb, making everyone’s eyes jump.
Then he pulled out his phone and quickly pressed three digits.
“Here, today I’m calling the police. Let these inexperienced fools see what real connections are, and what it means to actually call someone for backup!”
Now, not just the Security Guard, even the homeroom teacher—still steaming—was stunned.
Because Zhao Lao’er’s arrogance was so absurd, it almost seemed real.
What kind of background did he have?
Calling the police to do his bidding?
Even the mayor of this small town probably wouldn’t be this cocky.
Could it be the governor?
Or even higher—
They didn’t dare think further.
***
At the entrance of Xiaocheng No. 2 High School, a Polos police car was parked, sirens blaring.
Three fully armed officers rushed up, tense-faced.
Leading them was a middle-aged officer with a single earpiece, who shouted from the stairwell, “Where’s the madman? Who dares to kill someone at a school?!”
“Her!” Zhao Lao’er pointed at the homeroom teacher.
“She wanted to kill these students right in front of me!”
“Kill how?” A young officer at the back asked dumbfoundedly.
“Spiritually! Kill them! Kill their futures! Kill their individuality!”
“Kill?”
“Zhou Chao lowered his voice and tilted his body slightly, “He probably means ‘erase’.”
The middle-aged officer, previously tense, relaxed instantly.
Looks like no madman here—just a lunatic.
Then his gaze landed on the person who had called the police, and recognition dawned with a grin, “Yo, Zhao Lao’er! You again!”
“Today, I’m not a criminal! Today, I stand on the side of justice.”
“When have you ever stood on justice’s side? Stealing women’s clothes, robbing elementary kids’ spicy sticks—that’s… cough, justice?”
He struggled to keep from laughing aloud.
“Nonsense! I’m a national hero! That time I screwed over those damn Japanese, you know that or not?”
“What exactly happened?”
He turned his attention to the homeroom teacher—though she looked like a water bucket about to burst, she seemed more normal than Zhao Lao’er.
“I told those students with improper appearance to get haircuts at the entrance. He suddenly went crazy, rushed over, and insulted me terribly. And it was all for the students’ good. Besides, they have nothing to do with him…”
“What do you mean nothing to do with him? You’re killing them! Killing!”
“Zhao Lao’er,” the middle-aged officer expertly cuffed Zhao Lao’er’s wrists, “You’re coming with us. What’s with the early morning madness? Last time we let you out too soon?”
“You arrest justice too?”
“What justice?”
“At this moment, I am the embodiment of justice!”
“Cut the crap!”
The middle-aged officer, clearly familiar with Zhao Lao’er, laughed and kicked him in the rear.
“Back to the station to write your apology! You’re damn annoying. And we can’t keep you locked up for long anyway. Can you stir up less trouble?”
“Justice—justice will never die!!!”
Zhao Lao’er struggled as the three officers dragged him down the stairs, still shouting, “Justice can never be fully captured!! You catch one, there’ll be thousands more—!!”
“Say it! Why stop now?”
“I forgot the rest.”
“Thousands of justices will rise.”
The young officer helpfully added dumbly.
The middle-aged officer gave him a cold look but said nothing, just kicked Zhao Lao’er again.
“Hurry up, gotta get back for breakfast!”
“Justice will never stand!”
Zhao Lao’er yelled one last time, then suddenly fell silent until he was downstairs before snapping back to himself.
“No, justice can never be evil’s match!!”
“Go on.”
“What I mean is, evil will never triumph over justice.”
“Well said.”
“You evil people will never beat me!”
“Enough talking, you walking definition of evil.”
The middle-aged officer chuckled, “Seriously, if you’re really evil, this world would already be peaceful, ha!”
“I’m serious—you’ve got the wrong guy.”
Zhao Lao’er suddenly sobered, his expression serious, even pulling back the tooth that stuck out a little.
“Where’s the mistake?”
“I’m protecting the kids, and she’s killing them. You arrest me—who protects the kids then?”
“Definitely not you.”
The silent young officer finally blurted out.
“Save the kids! Save the kids!”
“Zhao Lao’er, I think you’re really mentally ill…”
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