provocative

As soon as I thought about those bastards Adrian trying to mess with me, I felt uneasy. If it were a one-on-one fight, I wouldn't be afraid of him at all. But he knows so many people at school, and he suggested I ask Shirley for help. I really couldn't bring myself to do that.

My uncle had instilled all sorts of nonsense in my head before, and I believed that men should protect women, not hide behind them.

It's as if Sophie sensed my thoughts and asked softly, "Is someone causing you trouble at school? Are you seeking refuge here or looking for assistance?"

I stared at her in surprise, wondering if she could read minds.

Honestly, my biggest concern right now was this situation. While my uncle's reputation had its advantages, asking a couple of guys for help wasn't an easy thing, and I found it hard to ask.

"Alright, come with me," she said, leading me over to where Dirk was. My heart began to race; I didn't know how Dirk would react when he heard about this. Would he even care about such a small matter?

But when Sophie quickly explained the situation to Dirk, to my surprise, he just laughed and patted my shoulder, saying, "I thought it was some trivial matter. If someone's bothering you, why not ask your uncle for help? Otherwise, tell them to come to the gambling den, and let's see who dares to touch a hair on your head!"

Hearing this, a rush of relief washed over me. I never expected Dirk to be so supportive. I silently thanked him a hundred times over in my mind and immediately took out my phone.

When I looked at my phone, I was shocked! Over a hundred missed call notifications and dozens of text messages, all from Adrian and his gang. I had my phone on silent, so I hadn't noticed. The texts were filled with various threats. I walked out of the gambling den and stood at the entrance, immediately calling back.

As soon as the call connected, I heard Adrian's foul-mouthed voice on the other end, "Jim, you damn loser, you finally dare to answer the phone?"

"You little bastard, when did you have the guts to talk to me like this? I heard you've got people looking for me. Do you want to get beaten up? The so-called school boss . If you've got guts, come and face me!" I retorted, my words carrying more weight now that Dirk was backing me up.

Adrian was so infuriated that he couldn't find words. He passed the phone to someone else, and another voice came on, "Where are you? It's Charles."

"I don't give a damn! If you're coming, hurry up. If you're not, get lost. If you dare come, try me, you son of a bitch!" I replied fiercely. With Dirk's support, I felt more confident and tough in my words.

After a string of harsh words, I hung up. I felt strangely satisfied. If this were before, I wouldn't dare to be so confrontational. But now, with Dirk backing me, I had the confidence to face them. If they dared to cause trouble, I'd break their lackeys in half!

In fact, I was more worried they wouldn't show up. As long as they came, things would be easier to handle. The memory of the brawl at the gambling den was fresh in my mind. Now that they knew I had some connections in the underworld, they wouldn't dare to mess with me again.

My mood improved greatly. I stood by the entrance, smoking, waiting. The heavy rain had stopped, and there weren't many people on the street. I contemplated how Charles and Adrian would react when they saw Dirk by my side. It would surely be an interesting sight.

It was the same at school. If you had connections and backing, no one would dare to touch you. With a strong support, you could walk through school with your head held high, and even the most cocky students would have to bow to you.

Suddenly, I felt cunning, much like how the fat guy had tricked the middle-aged man earlier. I had also deceived Charles and Adrian, leading them here without them knowing what awaited them. Maybe they would end up getting beaten half to death by the thugs in the gambling den.

After waiting for nearly half an hour and not seeing any sign of them, I started to get anxious. I was about to call them when I saw several taxis pull up.

I couldn't help but chuckle. It seemed those idiots really came after all. Today, I was determined to show them what they deserved.

Several taxis stopped at the entrance of the gambling den. I immediately spotted Adrian and his group. About seven or eight people got out of the cars, each wearing a fierce expression. To be honest, I wasn't afraid of them anymore. In fact, I was worried they wouldn't show up.

Adrian and Bill were both there, along with a few unfamiliar faces. The tall and skinny one at the forefront was Charles, the school's "boss." I had seen him once in the dormitory before. He gave me a dark glance, his eyes almost shooting out flames.

"Jim, get your come here!"

"Come if you've got the guts! Wait here if you dare. Whoever leaves is a coward, you son of a bitch!"

I flipped him the finger and then turned around, entering the gambling den. I was excited beyond words. As long as Dirk resolved this situation for me today, no one would dare to mess with me at school again.

Back inside the gambling den, I quickly approached Dirk and respectfully offered him a cigarette. Suppressing my excitement, I said, "Dirk, a group of guys outside... they're planning to attack me."

Dirk took a drag of his cigarette and grinned, "Tell me, how much are you willing to pay for me to handle this for you?"