Chapter 76: Coercion Round Two
Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn
Wang Tong heard the school bell chimed like an ominous alarm, alerting him of an impending doom. Lo and behold, Ma Xiaoru greeted him with a knowing smile and told him that his presence was required at the principal's office.
Wang Tong furrowed his brows and heaved a sigh.
Ma Xiaoru laughed at him after seeing Wang Tong's distressed look, "It will be all right, she won't bite. She asked you to have a fight with Wang Ben, so you did. It was as simple as that."
Wang Tong forced a wry smile, "I am afraid that it is not as simple as that, not for our principal."
"Perhaps you are right... Samantha is pretty good at playing tricks on people after all. Just be careful, do whatever she says."
"I never broke any rules, and although I am not the model student, I worked my ass off for the honor of our school!"
Ma Xiaoru pouted her lips and said, "Bullsh*t, I might have believed you, but for your own sake, don't even think about bringing those words in front of Samantha."
Wang Tong smiled knowingly. He found it strange that the Tactics of the Enchantress didn't change Ma Xiaoru's gullible personality. He marveled at the combination of her prestige family background and the meek and lovely personality, and he thought that Ma Xiaoru would give him so much joy should he decided to stay with her.
However, Wang Tong was born with rebellious blood in his vein. His heart told him that it was impossible between him and Samantha, but his body pulled him closer and closer to the danger zone.
He remembered that the Old Fart had always said that man's brain is in his crotch. "Maybe he does, but I don't." Wang Tong found it disgusting to be grouped into the same category with the uncouth Old Fart. He remembered that when Wang Tong was younger, he had often heard the strange moaning coming out from Old Fart's room. What Wang Tong had also remembered but had refused to acknowledge then was the fact that he had always been compelled by the sound to stand outside of Old Fart's room and to listen attentively while keeping his hand busy in his pants.
He cracked open the door to the principal's office and saw Wang Ben was already there. His puffy jacket seemed to suggest that there were still bandages underneath. Feeling ashamed, Wang Tong avoided Wang Ben's eyes and smiled awkwardly. "Welcome aboard, Wang Ben."
"Come in Wang Tong, don't stand by the door," the cold aloofness in Samantha's voice made it sound utterly different than her soft voice on the weekend.
Wang Tong hurried to close the door and moved aside. He stood timidly, not wanting to walk any further away from the door. Ma Xiaoru watched as she waited for a show to unfold.
"I am sorry. It was an accident yesterday, I didn't mean to—"
"I understand… it was a sparring. Here, take a look at this." Wang Ben handed him a bill that listed all the medical expenses.
"You knew that our school forbids unprotected fights, to that end, we can't pay the entire medical bill, only forty percent, and you two, as the main instigators, have to share the remaining sixty percent. In addition, you have to pay for the damage done to the training room. So at the end of the day, it would be six grand for each of you. Here is the bill," Samantha spoke with a bright smile on her face as if she was celebrating a certain victory.
Wang Tong looked around him. "They are all richer than me; it was a set-up!" He bit down his lips and conceded his fate.
"I don't have money, and you know it, Principal. I will have to pay with labor." Wang Tong was adamant in holding onto his earnings.
"Atta boy! I want you to fight two matches in the tournament with Bernabeu. If you do so, you can consider your debts paid."
"No problem, for the honor of Ayrlarng, for the honor of the tradition, and the—"
Wang Tong was cut short by Samantha: "Yea, yea. Save your energy for our enemy."
"I am sorry Wang Tong. I didn't want to be a d*ck. I hope we can still spar in the future," Wang Ben's seemed to have regained his concision and apologized to Wang Tong.
Wang Tong spread out his hand nonchalantly, "I know it was not you, only our principal could have thought of such a brilliant idea. But I have to warn you: she is an expert at many things, and be careful, one day she might ask you to dig your own grave too."
Wang Tong was unruffled at Samantha's malicious intrigue. He was ready to fight against her, regardless if she was the principal or the elegant beauty.
Samantha locked her eyes onto Wang Tong's and pouted her lips slightly. "Watch your mouth, Wang Tong. I am still your principal." Although she was perplexed by Wang Tong's sudden animosity, she didn't stress about it because she knew that as long as Wang Tong was still her student, she would have him under her thumb.
Ma Xiaoru furrowed her eyebrows as she found it strange that Wang Tong seemed always to act differently whenever he was with Samantha. Ma Xiaoru then wondered if love had made her blind.
"You must be Ma Xiaoru? Glad to meet you, I have heard so much about you," Wang Ben announced.
"The pleasure is mine, Wang Ben."
"This is great! The four of you would make Martyrus pay for his arrogance. Prepare well, use as many resources as you wish. But make sure you win," Samantha narrowed her eyes as she gave them a warning.
Regardless if it was Ayrlarng or Bernabeu, the victory was going to be crucial to their next phase of development. If Bernabeu won over the two of Ayrlarng's best students, they would stand a better chance against the S-Class Academies. On the other hand, victory was equally important for Samantha because if she lost, she would have to quit her job and become a laughing stock to all the other principals of the entire confederation.
"Yes Ma'am"
"Excellent! Wang Tong and Xiaoru, I want you to show Wang Ben around our campus and the F-Class."
"Let's go, today's lunch will be on me," Wang Tong still felt guilty of injuring Wang Ben; otherwise, he wouldn't have offered to pay.
"Thank you," Wang Ben accepted the offer.
"You should be honored, Wang Ben. This stingy Wang Tong had never been so generous. Thanks to you, I am getting a free lunch too," Ma Xiaoru's face bloomed like a flower as she spoke about Wang Tong.
Unlike Hu Yangxuan, Wang Ben had been keeping a low profile ever since he arrived Ayrlarng which gave Wang Tong a great first impression. Although Wang Ben and Wang Tong had only fought once, they had already started to form a bond out of mutual admiration.
They regrouped with Hu Yangxuan, and then the four of them headed down to the cafeteria. Wang Ben remained quiet, and Hu Yangxuan was as loud as usual. He went on to fill the other three with all kinds of gossips.
It was louder than the usual inside of the cafeteria as the students shared and discussed certain news. Surprisingly, the news had nothing to do with Wang Ben, although every student had heard about his arrival and his assignment to the F-Class.
Some students lamented over the fact that, with Ma Xiaoru and Wang Ben, the F-Class seemed to be more like the A-Class.