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Chapter Ninety-Four: The Tension Builds
Originally, everyone thought that the big showdown between Zhang Qiu and Wang Zhen was about to happen, but it did not occur. However, the spectators were not disappointed. Just moments ago, Wang Zhen's voice had been loud, shouted at the top of his lungs.
The rumored battle was finally becoming a reality. In the upcoming week of returning home, would the old established force Zeng Fan emerge victorious, or would the newly rising power Zhang Qiu triumph? This sparked intense discussions at Beiluan High School. The level of interest was so high that even the usually indifferent top students began to pay attention.
After Wang Zhen left with his group, Zhang Qiu turned to the Brothers surrounding him and smiled, "So, how do you feel? Are you confident we can take them down?"
"Yes!" everyone shouted in unison, their voices echoing so loudly that dust fell from the long-unwiped ceiling fan.
Jiang Xue nudged Zhang Qiu and scolded, "Keep it down; do you want to attract the principal?"
"The Brothers are just too excited. You came along because you're worried about me," Zhang Qiu joked with Jiang Xue. However, Jiang Xue replied seriously, "I want to join the Hall Society."
Seeing Zhang Qiu's astonished expression, Jiang Xue asked, "What's wrong? Aren't you welcoming me?"
"Of course I welcome you," Zhang Qiu replied with a smile. At that moment, he had no idea how much trouble this decision would bring Jiang Xue.
...
In just one class period, news of Zhang Qiu and Zeng Fan's duel spread to every corner of Beiluan High School. Those who had previously shown interest in joining the Hall Society suddenly dwindled in number, and even some who had already joined hurriedly withdrew. Zhao Pingchuan observed this with concern and said, "Brother Qiu, this isn't looking good. Those who were willing to join us are now hesitant out of fear. Even those who joined are backing out." Zhao Pingchuan gritted his teeth in frustration at those who joined only to leave again; it showed a lack of responsibility.
Zhang Qiu smiled lightly and was not angry. He had experienced similar situations in middle school; three years had passed and he had long since come to understand. He welcomed those who wanted to join and did not force anyone to stay if they wished to leave.
Zhang Qiu comforted, "Don't be angry about this. It's normal; people tend to avoid trouble. When there's a benefit, everyone rushes in, but when there's danger, they prefer to stay away. If we become strong, we won't have to worry about not having followers; we just need to focus on improving ourselves."
Zhao Pingchuan deeply agreed with Zhang Qiu's words. People are indeed like that, but he still felt upset and asked, "Brother Qiu, what about those who have withdrawn? Should we just let it go?"
Zhang Qiu licked his lips and smiled, "Let them go, but it's not quite that simple."
"What do you mean?" Zhao Pingchuan inquired.
"Those who want to leave can leave. We have their names on a list. We will definitely not seek revenge; I won't allow that. However, one day when we become strong and successful, we won't welcome them back. There's a saying that goes well: when you weren't by my side during my lowest moments, what reason do you have to share in my success when I rise?"
Qiu Wan and Zhao Pingchuan both laughed. After Zhang Qiu's guidance, Zhao Pingchuan felt much better.
As the great battle approached, everyone exhibited a watchful attitude. Zhang Qiu heard that some students had privately set up betting pools, with bets on Zeng Fan winning far outnumbering those on Zhang Qiu. Of course, the stakes were snacks like chips, spicy strips, and cookies. Jiang Xue told Zhang Qiu that she had even bet her breakfast bread on Zhang Qiu winning.
Once the agreement was made, Zhang Qiu found it hard to fully concentrate on his studies. The upcoming battle would determine everything—success would mean reaching the top of the school; failure would mean losing everything.
Regarding this duel, Zhang Qiu did not have complete confidence. He had few resources to rely on—just his four brothers and Yang Yu's group from the vocational school. On the other hand, Zeng Fan had been developing his strength at Beiluan High School for nearly three years, making him formidable. Recent developments had added new worries for Zhang Qiu.
How many of the newly joined students would actually show up for the fight? Or how many would dare to participate? Among those who did attend, how many would have the courage to take action? These were all uncertain factors. In any case, the situation was very severe this time. However, having a fight would at least help identify who truly cared about the club; these individuals would be valuable assets for Hall Society's growth.
With the duel approaching, things at Beiluan High School stabilized. In just two hours, not many more people joined in. Zhang Qiu handed over the matters here to Zhao Pingchuan and Gao Zhi to manage—mainly registering contact information and confirming who would attend. Gao Zhi confidently imitated scenes from movies before battles by gathering the members together and standing forward like a commander to begin mobilizing them.
Taking advantage of the twenty-minute break between classes, Zhang Qiu ran to the back of the gymnasium to contact Yang Yu via his phone and informed him about the duel. Yang Yu was very excited upon hearing this news and eagerly said, "Brother Qiu, let’s do it! I'll bring people over early."
"Alright, bring the equipment." Zhang Qiu recalled the bat he used when he fought Wang Zhen that night, which had worked exceptionally well.
Zhang Qiu and Yang Yu went over some details of the fight again, weighing the strengths of both parties. They both agreed that the Hall Society was quite weak. Zhang Qiu optimistically listed several historical examples of victories where a smaller force triumphed over a larger one, and in the end, they devised a clever plan.
Coincidentally, as Zhang Qiu hung up the phone and was about to head back, he bumped into Director Zhao coming out of the gym. Both were momentarily taken aback, and Zhang Qiu instantly understood something, suppressing a laugh as he greeted, "Hello, Director Zhao."
"Ah, hello," Director Zhao tried to maintain an authoritative tone but appeared flustered instead.
Zhang Qiu sized up Director Zhao and glanced into the gym, just in time to see a Long Ponytail Teacher walking towards the indoor basketball court with her jacket zipped up. Director Zhao felt his ears burning and cursed inwardly at how Zhang Qiu seemed to be everywhere, so he hurriedly walked away. After taking a few steps, Director Zhao suddenly remembered something and turned back to call out to Zhang Qiu, asking, "What are you doing here?"
Now it was Zhang Qiu's turn to feel awkward. Just as he was thinking of an excuse, Director Zhao said, "Hurry back to class; don't let it delay you." With that, he rushed off.
Watching Director Zhao leave, Zhang Qiu finally let out the laughter he had been holding in. After laughing enough, he returned to the classroom but not before taking one last look at the gym, where the female teacher's figure had already vanished.
As he walked along the way, Zhang Qiu had already figured out how to implement their clever plan. It would be perfect for Zhao Pingchuan to arrange this matter given his meticulous nature. Once back in the classroom, Zhang Qiu called Zhao Pingchuan over and quietly explained everything to him. Soon enough, both of them burst into laughter.
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