Heard that voting for books might win you the grand prize in a scratch-off lottery—did you cast your vote today? ......................................... A video of a brawl began circulating quietly among the younger crowd in the city.

The footage first leaked from two security guards, one named Xiao Huang and the other Cheng Zi. Because the fight was as spectacular as an action movie, and it had actually happened right there in their neighborhood, the video quickly became hugely popular, turning into common dinner-table talk for young people.

In recent years, cell phones evolved into the ultimate personal information hubs; with just a light tap, one could share content with others. This video spread rapidly through the youth via Bluetooth, infrared, and other transfer methods.

Once the number of people holding the video reached a critical mass, some busybody finally connected their phone to a computer and uploaded the footage to a video-sharing website.

It must be noted that the residential complex where Xiao Huang and Cheng Zi worked boasted remarkably good amenities; even the surveillance cameras were high-end units costing over ten thousand yuan each. The viewing angles were wide, the close-ups were sharp, and the pan-and-tilt movements were utterly seamless, outperforming many mid-range DV cameras. This unedited footage looked more like an independent film; if it were acted, the director and actors could genuinely head to Cannes for an award.

The only flaw was the complete lack of sound, but this only heightened the mystery, leaving the audience with boundless room for imagination.

After being uploaded, the video experienced a few hours of silence before its click count began to rise slowly, then suddenly exploded. Clicks soared to the heavens as netizens rushed to spread and repost it, crowning it with all sorts of exaggerated and dazzling titles.

The most widely circulated title dubbed Wang Zhuo, who was utterly dominant in the short film, the "Campus Bully," a label that was widely accepted. Wang Zhuo’s school uniform immediately became a crucial clue; everyone wanted to know the identity of this Bully, so the doxing began.

Aside from Wang Zhuo’s identity, the most debated topic was the hunting rifle carried by the Kill Matt youth. Since the video ended right after the Kill Mats slapped themselves silly and sheepishly retreated, everyone wanted to know the rifle’s subsequent whereabouts—did it fall into the hands of the Bully?

The power of the people is indeed mighty. At the exact moment Wang Zhuo was placing a two-thousand-yuan red envelope into the hands of his aunt's attending physician, the identity of the Campus Bully, after more than a day of relentless doxing, was finally brought to light.

As he said goodbye and left his aunt’s hospital room, comforted his crying cousin Huang Qian, and walked out of the hospital, the identities of Sun Donghao and the Kill Mats were also traced and revealed by netizens on the Tianya Community forum.

When he hailed a cab to the Antique Street, preparing for a high-stakes gamble to earn money to pay Uncle Daozi, his phone rang—an unfamiliar landline number.

“Reporting to His Majesty, a certain commoner requests an audience—”

Wang Zhuo pressed the answer button and asked, "Hello, who is this?"

"Wang Zhuo, this is Director Deng from the Discipline Office. Where are you right now?" It was the familiar voice of a middle-aged woman.

This Director Deng was named Deng Caixia. She and Wang Zhengdao had been high school classmates. Wang Zhuo had always received her consideration while at school. She was uncompromisingly strict, even harsh, with other students, yet she was always amiable only toward Wang Zhuo.

Wang Zhuo sometimes wondered if the rapport between Director Deng and Wang Zhengdao was merely that of ordinary classmates. After all, many students had connections at school, yet he never saw Director Deng treat anyone else so kindly. Perhaps there was an untold story between the two of them.

"Director Deng? I'm at the hospital looking after my aunt," Wang Zhuo lied casually. He certainly couldn't tell her he was heading to gamble on raw stones, could he?

"The sounds around you don't exactly suggest a hospital?" Deng Caixia, proving herself worthy of being the Dean of Discipline, had sharp hearing and immediately voiced her suspicion.

"I just stepped out to grab some food; it's almost noon."

Deng Caixia didn't press further. Whether she believed him or not was unclear. She changed the subject abruptly: "Come back to school immediately; I have something important to discuss with you."

"What is it?" Wang Zhuo had to ask first. When the Discipline Director summoned someone, it was seldom good news; he needed to prepare himself mentally.

"We’ll talk when you get here!" Deng Caixia hung up.

Wang Zhuo was somewhat bewildered. He was already on Antique Street, and the Director had summoned him—should he go or not?

As he hesitated, another call came in. This time, it was Gan Lin.

"Wang Zhuo, look at the mess you’ve made! You’re famous now!" Gan Lin’s tone was oddly complex.

"Huh? What did I do? How am I famous?" Wang Zhuo was utterly confused.

"The fight you had with that bunch of hoodlums was filmed and put online! In just over a day, the clicks hit several million. They’ve already doxxed you—your exam scores, height, weight, and home address are all online. Liu Donghao too! You two are celebrities now."

"What? What?" Wang Zhuo was completely stunned.

"Even the police have come to the school and are looking for you right now! I just left Director Deng’s office; she got your phone number from me. I was right there next to her when you were talking."

"Why are the police looking for me?!" Wang Zhuo immediately panicked. "I was acting in the interest of justice, saving Liu Donghao! Why aren't they arresting those parrots, and instead they’re hassling me?"

Hearing Wang Zhuo's frantic tone, Gan Lin chuckled, "They didn't say they were looking to cause trouble, did they? Besides, with Director Deng representing the school and speaking up for you, what are you afraid of?"

Wang Zhuo remained unconvinced. In his view, the police were never motivated unless there was something in it for them. "If they aren't causing trouble, then why are they looking for me? Are they going to give me a medal for valor?"

Gan Lin said, "Actually, they just want to ask about the rifle’s whereabouts. However, the fact that you seized their belongings might be a bit tricky."

Wang Zhuo breathed a sigh of relief, but hearing Gan Lin mention taking things, he snorted. "That was for medical expenses! They offered to compensate me voluntarily!"

"You can tell that story to the police!" Gan Lin’s tone remained relatively light. "The police are waiting in Director Deng’s office. Hurry back."

After hanging up, Wang Zhuo analyzed the situation. It seemed the police genuinely wanted to cause him some minor trouble. After all, an incident like this happening in their jurisdiction and gaining so much notoriety meant the police had lost face; they would certainly want to claw some of it back. However, he was in the right in this matter, and being summoned to Director Deng’s office—a location strategically superior to the Principal’s office—meant the trouble shouldn't be too severe.

Still, to be safe, Wang Zhuo called Sun Donghao as soon as he got into the car.

"Haozi, where are you?"

Wang Zhuo’s phrasing was somewhat roundabout. If the police were standing next to Sun Donghao, there would still be room for maneuvering.

Sun Donghao replied, "Wang Zhuo, did Gan Lin just call you? I just got out of the Discipline Office."

Wang Zhuo quickly asked, "What did they ask you? Is it serious?"

Sun Donghao chuckled, "Don't worry, man, it’s fine. They just asked about the rifle’s location and the reason for the conflict. I think they cared more about that gun. I told them you tossed it in the community courtyard."

Wang Zhuo instantly felt a wave of relief wash over him, and he asked with a smile, "So what did they say after hearing that?"

Sun Donghao said, "They were very angry. They said what you did caused them a lot of trouble."

"Go to hell," Wang Zhuo muttered irritably. "They failed to govern their jurisdiction properly, almost got me shot by someone with a gun, why don't they say that caused me a lot of trouble? Let’s see how I tear into them later!"

"Wang Zhuo, never mind that," Sun Donghao quickly advised. "Those guys you fought have already run off. Once they find the gun, this whole thing will be over. Be polite; you can't fight bigger authority. Don't stir up trouble."

"We'll see how things look then," Wang Zhuo replied before hanging up.