Chapter 18: Weaklings

"Hey, are you three done talking? Do you think we're invisible over here?" Wang Qiang spat out his cigarette, pointing his wooden bat at Su Ming.

"Get them!" he roared.

Taking a deep breath, Su Ming led the charge toward Wang Qiang. Ming Ke and Chen Tong followed without hesitation.

"Looking for trouble, huh?!" Wang Qiang sneered, rallying his thugs to attack.

One of the thugs swung his bat at Chen Tong, who sidestepped just in time and landed a solid punch on the thug's nose.

However, before he could celebrate, a bat struck his side, sending a sharp pain radiating through his body. Gritting his teeth, Chen Tong spun around and kicked the assailant in the chest.

But before he could catch his breath, two more bats slammed into his back, knocking him to the ground. Sprawled out, Chen Tong looked bewildered, as if the entire gang had decided to gang up on him.

He glanced toward Su Ming and Ming Ke for help, only to find them both already on the ground, surrounded and taking a relentless beating.

"Damn it!" Chen Tong cursed in frustration.

---

Fifteen minutes later, the three of them were slumped against the wall of a nearby building. They were bruised, swollen, and utterly defeated.

"Su Ming, are you okay?" Ming Ke asked, wincing as he tried to sit up.

"I'm fine. I've got plenty of fat—it cushions the blows," Su Ming replied with a weak chuckle.

"You two are pathetic. Can't even fight properly. If you'd lasted just a bit longer, I could've taken down a few more of them," Chen Tong snapped, his frustration bubbling over.

"We're good students. We don't fight often because fighting is wrong," Ming Ke replied hesitantly.

"Wrong, my ass!" Chen Tong retorted, nearly laughing at the absurdity of the statement.

Su Ming sighed in exasperation. It wasn't that he didn't want to fight back—it was that his body simply wouldn't cooperate. During the brawl, he'd clearly seen the incoming attacks and tried to dodge, but his overweight frame moved sluggishly, like a turtle trying to sprint.

And when he did manage to land a punch, it felt soft and ineffective, as though he was gently massaging the thugs rather than fighting them. Worse, his own hands ached more from the impact than his targets seemed to feel.

Sure, he'd started dieting and exercising, but progress wouldn't come overnight.

"Forget it. I should've known better than to rely on you two," Chen Tong muttered, shaking his head.

"Don't be mad. This time it's on us," Ming Ke admitted. "By the way, Su Ming, why were they after you? Did you offend someone?"

Before Su Ming could answer, Chen Tong cut in, his tone sharp. "The guy leading them was Wang Qiang, a notorious thug around here. Who else could've sent them but Zhang Tai?"

"That's outrageous! I'm reporting this," Ming Ke declared, his sense of justice flaring up.

Su Ming, however, shook his head. He forced himself to his feet, his movements slow and deliberate. "It's pointless. We got attacked off school grounds, and we have no evidence. Nothing will come of it. Let's just go to the hospital and get patched up. I'll cover the medical costs."

"Alright," Ming Ke agreed, rising with some effort.

Chen Tong, however, lingered, staring at Su Ming with a puzzled expression. Something about him seemed different.

The old Su Ming would've been paralyzed with fear at the mere sight of trouble, let alone fight back. The outcome might not have changed, but his demeanor was undeniably different.

When Su Ming noticed Chen Tong still sitting, he extended a hand to help him up.

Chen Tong huffed, reluctantly taking the hand and pulling himself to his feet.

Together, the three of them limped down the street.

---

Late at night, in Mient Academy's Dormitory Building No. 1, Room 316.

A tall, acne-scarred student named Zhou Kang emerged from the bathroom, carrying a stainless steel basin full of laundry.

"Zhou Kang, you're doing laundry this late? What if it doesn't dry by morning?" a bespectacled roommate asked.

"Doesn't matter. Tang's still out of it, probably won't be teaching tomorrow. Self-study means no one cares what I wear," Zhou Kang replied nonchalantly, humming a tune as he walked toward the stairs.

But as he moved down the corridor, a pair of glowing red eyes appeared in the shadows, fixating on him.

In the next instant, a dark figure darted along the ground, moving with unnatural speed toward Zhou Kang.

Oblivious, Zhou Kang continued humming. Just as the figure was about to reach him, his instincts kicked in. He leaped forward, narrowly avoiding a grotesque, black, tumor-riddled rat that skittered past him.

"What the hell?!" Zhou Kang gasped, stumbling as he landed. Grabbing his basin, he swung it down onto the rat with all his might.

Bang!

The sound echoed through the dormitory, waking its occupants.

"Goddamn it! What's your problem? It's the middle of the night!" voices shouted from various rooms.

Ignoring the complaints, Zhou Kang lifted the dented basin to check on the rat. To his horror, the creature was still alive. It lunged at him, sinking its teeth into his hand.

"Ahh!" Zhou Kang screamed as a viscous, black substance seeped from the rat into his body through the bite wound.

---

Meanwhile, Su Ming, Ming Ke, and Chen Tong were dragging themselves up the dormitory stairs after their hospital visit. Exhausted and battered, they could barely manage the climb.

As they reached the third floor, Zhou Kang's bloodcurdling scream pierced the air.

"What was that?" Ming Ke asked, alarmed.

The three of them rushed toward the source of the scream. When they arrived at the corridor, they saw Zhou Kang standing eerily still, his head lowered.

"What's going on?" Other students, roused by the noise, began to gather.

"Zhou Kang?" one of them called out, stepping closer.

Suddenly, Zhou Kang lifted his head, revealing a grotesque, distorted face. Black, swollen veins crisscrossed his skin, and his eyes glowed a menacing red.

Su Ming's heart sank. "Stay away from him!" he shouted urgently.

But it was too late. Zhou Kang lunged at the nearest student, biting deep into the boy's neck. Blood sprayed as the victim screamed in agony.

"Run!" someone shouted, and chaos erupted as students fled in terror.

Chen Tong, however, charged forward, delivering a powerful kick that sent Zhou Kang sprawling. But to everyone's horror, Zhou Kang immediately got back up.

Before Chen Tong could strike again, Su Ming grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back.

"What are you doing?" Chen Tong demanded, glaring at Su Ming.