Kodo Beast threw his full strength into the strike. The mere gust from his palm stung the girl’s cheeks. Had it landed, her face would have swollen at the very least—or even bled.

Luckily, Jiang Xuehan reacted lightning-fast. At the last possible moment, she raised her right arm to shield her little head. But her slender frame was no match for a boy’s strength. The force sent her tumbling to the ground, leaving five startlingly vivid red handprints on her forearm.

The internet cafe had been noisy and chaotic, no one paying attention to their argument. But the sudden violence instantly drew countless eyes.

Wu De and Lu Simeng, seated nearby, rushed over. Three boys in matching team jerseys—Kodo Beast’s teammates—arrived almost simultaneously.

Wu De helped Jiang Xuehan up. Seeing her swollen arm and fresh red marks, his whole body trembled with rage. He spun, grabbed Kodo Beast by the collar, and roared, “What the hell do you think you’re doing? How dare you bully Xiao Han?”

Kodo Beast didn’t pull away. He just glared with a sinister smirk. “Who does this little bitch think she is, talking trash? And who the hell are you to her?”

“I’m… I’m her team captain!”

“Captain? Hmph. Sure. Buddy, friendly advice—this little bitch is clearly used goods. Pure outside, filthy inside. For all we know, she was in some other guy’s bed last night with her mouth full of—”

“Shut up!”

“Stop!”

It was Jiang Xuehan who cried “Stop!” Kodo Beast had been deliberately provoking Wu De since being grabbed—a clear trap. His three teammates stood arms crossed, making no move to help. Something was off.

Wu De, the one who yelled “Shut up!”, had rage burning away all reason. With a furious roar, he slammed a heavy punch into Kodo Beast’s chest.

Despite his burly build, Kodo Beast crumpled like cotton. Staggering back, he collapsed, clutching his head and rolling while wailing in exaggerated pain.

What an actor! Wu De hit his chest—why clutch his head? And with that solid frame, could he really not take one punch?

Wu De stared blankly at his own fist, stunned. Behind him, Jiang Xuehan shook her head helplessly.

Trouble. Big trouble.

Sure enough, a referee came running. “What’s going on? What happened?”

Kodo Beast sat up, one hand on his head, the other pointing at Wu De. “Ref! He hit me! Ahhh—it hurts! How can I compete now… oww… oww…”

His teammates chimed in instantly. “Yeah! He randomly attacked our captain! Must’ve known he’d lose fair, so he struck first! Kick this scumbag out!”

Classic villain playing victim. Unaware of the truth, the referee turned sharply to Wu De. “Hey! Attacking someone in the arena? Do you even want to compete? I’m disqualifying your—”

Just then, a pained cry cut in: “Ah! It hurts! *sob* *sob*…”

The referee finally noticed the delicate girl nearby, clutching her bright red forearm, tear-streaked face utterly heart-wrenching. Moved, he hurried over. “Don’t cry, don’t cry. Tell Uncle—who hit you? So cruel?”

“Uncle, it was him!” Jiang Xuehan pointed firmly at Kodo Beast. “*sob* He bullied me—a weak girl—just ‘cause he’s big! Uncle, please stand up for me!”

The referee rubbed his temples. “So… what exactly happened?”

An onlooker raised a hand. “I saw it all! They argued, he attacked her first. That guy’s her friend—he was avenging her.”

Truth revealed, the referee faced Kodo Beast. “You hit her first? Arguing’s one thing—hitting a woman? Unacceptable.”

Kodo Beast opened his mouth to explain—when another staff member whispered urgently in the referee’s ear.

The referee’s face darkened. “Competitor Kodo Beast initiated violence—fault lies with him. But injury was superficial. Competitor Wu De’s retaliation was excessive, causing severe harm. Rules demand Wu De’s disqualification. However, for the match’s sake, a formal apology to Kodo Beast will settle it.”

The crowd erupted. “Are you kidding, old man? Standing up for a friend is wrong? Kodo Beast’s faking it—where’s the ‘severe injury’?!”

Ignoring them, the referee locked eyes with Wu De. “Ten seconds to apologize. Or your entire team is disqualified.”

Wu De stood trembling, veins bulging, smoke practically rising from his head.

Kodo Beast dropped the act, sitting cross-legged with a smug grin. “Hey, Wu De! Apologize! I’m magnanimous—if you’re sincere, I’ll skip the medical bills and legal charges.”

Teammates cheered: “Captain’s too kind! You’ll get walked on!”

“Sigh… What can I say? I’m just a softie.”

“Captain’s a living Buddha! Hey, East University guy—stop staring! Kowtow and apologize now!”

Wu De lunged forward, fist raised, roaring: “I’ll apologize my—”

He froze. A petite figure stepped in front, arms spread wide.

Her right arm still swollen red, her gaze clear as crystal. “Wu De. Don’t. Listen to the referee.”

“But… but…”

His chest heaved with fury. He couldn’t swallow this.

Jiang Xuehan sighed softly. Her eyes softened like a gentle April stream. “Wu De… please. Do it for me.”