Chapter 2655 — Zhong Yongliang's Challenge

"Happy..." Yu Xiaoke said listlessly, though inside she was in an agony of conflict. The school's donation money—what business did Wei Zhao have calling her about it? Was he trying to show how much he cared? Inevitably, Yu Xiaoke let her thoughts run away with her. There was no help for it: once she had misread Wei Zhao, everything he did seemed to her proof that he harbored special feelings for her.

"What's the matter? You're not coming down with something, are you?" Wei Zhao asked with concern.

Although Wei Zhao's present identity was Wei Zhao, he was also the Male Thief, and before Yu Xiaoke these two identities inevitably overlapped again and again, so it was only natural that Wei Zhao should show her particular concern.

"I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine!" Yu Xiaoke's period had come these past few days, and it had indeed left her out of sorts, but that was absolutely not something she could tell Wei Zhao. She did not think her relationship with him had reached any such degree of intimacy.

"Oh... never mind, then. In a few days I'll bring the donation over and take a look at the orphanage while I'm at it." Wei Zhao did not read anything into it.

"No... don't come!" Yu Xiaoke blurted out instinctively, then wondered whether her reaction had been too strong. She hastily amended herself: "I mean, all that money—how would you even carry it here? Just wire it to me directly. What if it got lost on the way?"

"Wire it, you say? That works too, but for now the charitable funds are all sitting in the school's account, and what the school's finance office issues is a check. It only needs to be exchanged at the bank to transfer the funds. I'll see—when I have time, I'll go exchange it for you," Wei Zhao said.

"Fine, then wire it over as soon as you've exchanged it. I'll send you the orphanage's account number in a bit," Yu Xiaoke said.

"That works." Wei Zhao thought nothing of it; after all, making the trip to Songshan City in person was a fair bit of trouble.

Wei Zhao had just stepped into the school classroom when a familiar male voice came through the loudspeakers of the school's broadcast room: "Hello, hello—hello, hello—can you hear me?"

Whether in the classrooms, out on the athletic field, or resting in the dormitories, the students who heard the voice were all taken aback. The school's broadcasts seldom featured this sort of sound test; only people unfamiliar with broadcasting did such a thing.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Zhong Yongliang. I'm sure you all know me, so there's no need for me to introduce myself!" Zhong Yongliang's voice came over the broadcast again: "I'm here to announce something important to you all. I intend to challenge my fellow student Wei Zhao to a martial arts match. The time is one o'clock this afternoon, the place is the small athletic field at the school. I ask all of you to come and cheer us on—thank you, everyone! Wei Zhao, I'll be waiting for you there. Whatever you do, don't you dare not show up. Whoever doesn't come is a coward, a son of a bitch!"

Zhong Yongliang had originally meant to announce his challenge at last night's auction, but thanks to Shen Yushu's interference he had no choice but to make it known this morning over the broadcast room.

It had taken him no end of string-pulling to win the student council's consent before he could come to the broadcast room and issue his challenge. The school did not forbid martial arts matches between students; so long as things did not get out of hand, the school generally did not interfere.

It was only that Zhong Yongliang's challenge was rather crude, and if matters went awry he might even land himself a demerit. But Zhong Yongliang did not care. So long as he could become Gu Mengyao's personal bodyguard, it would all be worth it.

What he feared was that Wei Zhao would not accept the challenge and show up, and so he had been obliged to throw out a harsh word.

Wei Zhao listened in astonishment as Zhong Yongliang read out his challenge over the broadcast. He was greatly surprised—was this fellow challenging him again? Could it be that he had some new trump card up his sleeve?

Across the campus of Donghai City Engineering University echoed the challenge Zhong Yongliang had issued, and in the classroom of the economics department, Shen Yushu and Gu Mengyao naturally heard the news as well.

"Yao-yao, so Zhong Yongliang really did have an ulterior motive this time. It looks like he must have gotten some fine new treasure from the Tomorrow Upon Tomorrow Sect; otherwise he could never have arranged a duel with Arrow Brand Bro," Shen Yushu said after hearing it. "But without his Zhong Yongliang Golden Cicada Undergarment, isn't he just going up there to get beaten?"

"Who knows?" Gu Mengyao shook her head. "How could we not have seen it yesterday? He certainly put on a good act."

"That's right. Later, during the noon break, I'll go scout out the truth and see if I can find out what trump card Zhong Yongliang is holding," Shen Yushu said. "This mission goes to Detective Shu, 007!"

"Then be careful..." Gu Mengyao hesitated a moment, then nodded. She did not want Wei Zhao to lose either; knowing both oneself and the enemy is the way to win a hundred battles. Still, she warned: "Zhong Yongliang seems to be on his guard against you already. If it comes down to it, don't force it."

"Mm, I know." Shen Yushu nodded.

At noon, as soon as class let out, Shen Yushu telephoned Zhong Yongliang.

"Xiao Shu, what is it?" Zhong Yongliang loathed Shen Yushu to the core, but on the surface he was all warmth. There was no help for it—who had made Shen Yushu Gu Mengyao's bosom friend?

"Little Liangzi, where are you? Why are you challenging Arrow Brand Bro again? Are you sure you can win?" Shen Yushu asked tentatively.

Zhong Yongliang already knew that Shen Yushu was absolutely in league with Wei Zhao and could never be on his side, and he guessed that she had come to fish for information. He had suffered a loss before; how could he possibly suffer a second one now? But it so happened that he had been wanting to get Shen Yushu to come out. He meant to unleash the Hundred-Drunken Centipede to bite her and knock her unconscious, the better to unsettle Wei Zhao, and he had been worrying over how to invite her out—yet here she was, delivering herself to his door. Zhong Yongliang was overjoyed within, though his face betrayed nothing as he said: "I'm in the little park behind the school, practicing my martial arts. Whether I can win—come and see my ultimate move, and then you'll know."

"Oh? You have an ultimate move? Then Xiao Shu simply must see it!" Shen Yushu had not expected Zhong Yongliang to agree so readily and hastily asked: "Then wait for me in the little park behind the school—I'll be right over!"

"Good... wait!" Zhong Yongliang suddenly changed tack. "You're not here to scout for information for Wei Zhao, are you? Last time, was it you who swindled me out of my Zhong Yongliang Golden Cicada Undergarment?"

"What mid-grade Golden Cicada Undergarment? What's that? Is it the same thing as the Zhong Yongliang Golden Cicada Undergarment?" Shen Yushu asked.

"You don't know? Hmm... it's nothing. Come on, then," Zhong Yongliang said, deliberately feinting.