Song Liu didn't go to the hospital, just limped home, clutching his bruised stomach and trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his shin. He spent hours crying quietly in his room, totally broken and ashamed, the sheer humiliation from the public beatdown still burning worse than the actual injuries. He knew for damn sure he couldn't go back to that hellhole school, ever, but the decision was officially taken out of his hands that same night by that psycho bully. Around midnight, his cheap old cell phone, the one he barely used, buzzed with a message from an unknown number. He froze, his heart slamming against his ribs, because he knew immediately it was that rich bastard Liang Xu contacting him directly at home, which was a terrifying new low.
The text was short, simple, and completely chilling, striking right at the one thing Song Liu cared about most. It read: "Stay home, Pauper. Don't even think about coming back, or I swear to God I will find your little sister walking home from her school next week. You know how vulnerable little kids are when they're alone." Song Liu gasped out loud, dropping the phone on his dirty carpet, his entire body shaking with pure, cold terror. Liang Xu wasn't just threatening him anymore; he was threatening his little sister, the one person he was trying to save with his miserable job and his damn future. This was absolutely unforgivable and made Song Liu realize that the bully was a true, complete monster.
The pain in his stomach and leg vanished, replaced by a searing, desperate rage so intense it made him dizzy. He crawled across the floor, picked up the phone, and just stared at the hateful message. He couldn't go to the police; they wouldn't believe a word the poor nerd said against the powerful, rich CEO's son, and that would only make the threats worse for his sister. He couldn't tell his parents; they would panic and probably move them out of the city, destroying the stability they barely had. The horrible truth settled over him like a crushing weight: Liang Xu had won, completely and totally, and Song Liu was utterly helpless to stop the threats against his own family.
He spent the rest of the night curled up in a ball, alternating between silent, angry tears and plotting crazy, impossible ways to get back at the rich bastard, none of which involved going back to that school. He was officially done with high school, his dream of a scholarship completely dead, his academic future ruined, and it was all because of that one arrogant, cruel prick who couldn't handle rejection. He decided he was going to spend every waking minute focusing on his sister's safety and secretly building up his hatred for Liang Xu, saving it for a day when, maybe, just maybe, he would have the power to actually use it against that fucking tyrant.