Chapter 40: A Touch of His Demeanor

"Pfft!"

As soon as Yang Hao spoke those words, nearly everyone present burst into laughter. The people from Gao He’s side, meanwhile, wore expressions of suppressed amusement, their faces turning red from the effort not to laugh.

What are you going to do to me?

This reversal was entirely unexpected. It was as if someone had slapped their opponent right in the face, then asked with a grin whether they were angry. How could anyone not be? Was there any way to be more infuriating?

Some people glanced at Yang Hao, thinking to themselves that this guy was truly a talent—if he didn’t become a comedian, it would be a waste.

At that moment, the smile on Gao He’s face froze, turning ashen and lifeless, little different from a corpse’s expression. Those around, seeing Gao He like this, cast quick glances at the smiling Yang Hao, unable to keep their own faces from twitching. If it had been them, they likely wouldn’t have fared any better. Even just hearing those words had made them want to lash out.

“Let’s go,” Yang Hao said lightly, glancing at Yang Yu and the others who were still struggling to suppress their laughter. Since he had reclaimed the upper hand, there was no need to linger. Yang Hao was confident that his words had left a deep impression on the other side.

“What, you think you can just leave like that?” Gao He, unwilling to let them go, called out in a low, tense voice.

Yang Hao, just turning to leave, paused, then looked back and replied, “Why wouldn’t I leave? You’re not some beauty—what, you want to have a deep discussion with us?” He gave Gao He a once-over, then shook his head in mock disappointment and smirked. “Sorry, that’s not my thing.”

Instantly, all eyes fell upon Gao He, filled with a mixture of strangeness and contempt. Gao He’s face darkened, and, flustered and angry, he retorted, “I’m not satisfied! Do you dare go another round with me?”

“What does your dissatisfaction have to do with me? Am I your father, or your grandfather?”

The usual tactic of goading an opponent failed completely on Yang Hao. Not only did it not ignite Yang Hao’s fighting spirit, but instead Gao He found himself put down and at a loss for words.

Damn it, what did this guy eat, gunpowder? Every word is a slap in the face. Gao He was deeply frustrated; it was the first time he’d ever encountered someone like this.

This was just too humiliating! If there were a crack in the ground, he would have gladly crawled into it. He’d never been so thoroughly shamed.

“And besides, you’re not a beauty, and there’s no prize at stake—why should I fight you again? What’s in it for me?”

As Gao He was burning with embarrassment, these words struck his ear and jolted him to attention.

What’s in it for me? A prize?

Gao He finally understood. After all this back and forth, what Yang Hao really wanted was a prize.

Gritting his teeth, Gao He looked at Yang Hao and said, “As long as you fight me again, win or lose, I’ll give you a thousand.”

As he spoke, Gao He felt as if he were bleeding inside. A thousand yuan—about a month’s living expenses. No matter whether he won or lost, he’d be living on instant noodles for the foreseeable future. But if Yang Hao agreed, if he could prove himself, if he could regain his dignity, the money would be well spent.

As Gao He made his offer, several gasps sounded from the onlookers. A thousand yuan wasn’t much to those with incomes, but for Yang Yu and the other high schoolers, it was a huge sum. Even for those from well-off families, a thousand was still a fortune at their age. Many looked at Yang Hao, their eyes shining.

“A thousand?” Yang Hao’s voice was tinged with surprise. Gao He, hearing it, felt a little proud and asked with a smile, “How about that for a prize?”

“It’s good!” Yang Hao nodded, but just as Gao He was secretly pleased, Yang Hao suddenly shook his head and looked at him with a barely suppressed smile. “But I’m not short on money.”

The crowd erupted in laughter once more.

No one could remember how many times this had happened already.

“Let’s go.” With Gao He’s face both ashamed and angry, and the others struggling to hold back their laughter, Yang Hao beckoned to Yang Yu and the others and walked away.

At the door, Yang Yu was beaming with excitement. “Bro, that was incredible—so satisfying!”

Finally able to vent their frustrations, Yang Yu and the others were in high spirits. After being humiliated, not only had they gotten their own back, but they’d almost driven their opponent to a fit of rage—nothing could have been more exhilarating.

Yang Hao gave a slight smirk, glancing at Yang Yu before saying, “By the way, don’t you have afternoon classes? Today isn’t a weekend, is it?”

Although Yang Hao was no longer in school, he could still tell the difference between weekdays and weekends. Seeing Yang Yu and the others in their school uniforms, some with backpacks, it was clear they had snuck out at noon.

Hearing Yang Hao’s words, Yang Yu, Wang Xin, and the others immediately wilted, hanging their heads like scolded mice. Yang Hao checked the time, then said, “It’s getting late. Should I take you back to school? If you’re late for your noon study session, aren’t you afraid your class monitor will report you to your teacher?”

It really was getting late. High schoolers, especially seniors, usually had early afternoon classes. Yang Hao had considered this, having spent a year at Tianhai University Affiliated High School himself.

However, as soon as Yang Hao finished speaking, Wang Xin and the others burst out laughing, while Su Xiaohan blushed furiously nearby.

Just as Yang Hao was left speechless, Wang Xin, laughing so hard he was nearly squealing, stammered out, “Yang—pfft—Yang bro, do you know who our class monitor is?”

As soon as Wang Xin spoke, everyone’s eyes turned to Su Xiaohan, whose face was crimson as she shot him an annoyed glare.

Seeing their behavior, Yang Hao could immediately guess their meaning, though he was still a little surprised. He let his gaze linger on Yang Yu and Su Xiaohan for a few seconds, then looked away, unable to keep from feeling curious.

It was clear that as class monitor, Su Xiaohan was the model student—diligent, well-behaved, likely the class beauty or even the school belle, with plenty of admirers. As for Yang Yu, he was the quintessential bad student—not that he was terrible, but he didn’t like studying and was addicted to games, the kind of kid teachers and parents always frowned upon.

They were polar opposites, yet somehow had ended up together.

Well, would you look at that! Yang Hao hadn’t expected this from his cousin. Maybe his uncle had underestimated Yang Yu after all—he clearly had his merits. Especially when it came to attracting girls, Yang Hao had to admit the kid had inherited some of his own style.