Ethan and the man in the jacket stared each other down, neither making the first move.
The man in the jacket reversed his grip on the knife, crouching slightly.
"The cops are coming!"
Someone suddenly shouted from outside the door.
The moment the shout echoed, the man in the jacket burst forward like a leopard, his feet pushing hard against the floor, his left hand shoving off the table to propel himself like an arrow shot from a bow, the knife in his right hand aiming to inflict serious damage.
Ethan was left holding only a single wooden leg from the broken stool. Facing the attack, Ethan gritted his teeth and made a decision. He turned his back towards the attack. The man's reverse grip meant he couldn't effectively stab, only slash or hack.
Betting on this, Ethan let the knife blade slice across his back, opening a gash. But simultaneously, he swung the wooden leg with all his might, connecting solidly with the side of the man's head.
Having grown up facing bullying and fighting back, Ethan had been in countless fights. He knew very well that a knife used like this, without a stabbing motion, was far less lethal than a blunt weapon!
Thwump! A dull sound echoed as the wood connected with the man's skull. For a moment, the man's eyes rolled back. Ethan didn't even try to disarm him; he just kept swinging the wooden leg.
Realizing his underestimation, the man raised his arms to protect his head and turned to flee.
"You think you can just leave after starting this?"
Ethan took a running start, used a table to launch himself, and brought the wooden leg down in a powerful overhead arc, smashing it onto the man's protecting hands.
Crying out in pain, the man lost his grip on the knife, which clattered to the floor.
A wave of relief washed over Ethan, but he didn't stop. He charged forward, the wooden leg whipping out repeatedly, striking precisely at the man's knees and elbows. The man's legs buckled, and he collapsed face-first to the ground.
Ethan still didn't relent. He continued beating the man with the stick until, with a final crack, it snapped completely. Breathing heavily, Ethan then pushed a table over, pinning the man down to prevent him from getting up.
Only then did Ethan stop. He reached back and felt his back, his hand coming away bloody. A chill ran down his spine. It was winter; he was wearing a padded jacket under his school uniform, and the blade had still easily cut through to his skin.
Sitting on the overturned table, Ethan casually wiped the blood from his hands onto his school trousers. He then looked at the blond guy. "Sorry, I wasn't really listening before. What were you saying to me?"
Pressed against the wall, the blond guy shook his head frantically. "Nothing! I didn't say anything!"
Many students had gathered to watch. A few minutes later, the crowd parted as police arrived and took both Ethan and the man in the jacket away.
The blond guy and his crew watched the police car drive off, then looked at the wreckage inside the noodle shop, swallowing hard.
"Put the word out," the blond guy muttered. "No more jobs at the high school. Only middle school from now on!"
At the hospital, a doctor bandaged Ethan's wounds while two police officers sat across from him.
"Why did he attack you?"
"No idea," Ethan shook his head. "You should ask him."
"Cut the crap!" the female officer, a sharp-looking woman, snapped. "Don't play games. Remember, you're a student!"
"Officer, you said it yourself, I'm just a student. What does this have to do with me?"
"Enough backtalk!" the officer glared. "I've seen plenty of kids like you. Think you're tough because you know some shady people. Don't study properly, just learn how to fight. Do you have any idea how you're letting your parents down?"
Ethan ignored her, adjusting his backpack. An item accidentally fell out.
He quickly picked it up.
"What's that!" the officer barked, holding out her hand.
Ethan frowned. "Officer, it's a personal item. I don't have to show you."
"Stop wasting time!" she yelled. "Given what just happened, I have the right to inspect your belongings! I suspect it's related to the armed assault!"
Ethan paused, then sighed in resignation and handed over the item. "Maybe the guy came at me with a knife because he wanted to steal my transcript. I'm ranked first in the school."
The officer stared at the transcript, momentarily speechless, then tried to recover. "If it's just a transcript, why were you in such a hurry to pick it up?"
"Thinking of you," Ethan sighed again. "You just accused me of not studying, then you see I'm ranked first in the school. Isn't that embarrassing for you? I was trying to put it away quickly to spare you, but you insisted on seeing it."
The other officer, who had been taking notes, couldn't suppress a chuckle. He then turned and left. There wasn't much point continuing the interview. The top-ranked student at the city's best academic high school? What kind of real trouble could he possibly be involved in?
The female officer shot Ethan an angry look, muttered "We'll be in touch if we need anything else," and stormed out.
In another hospital room, the man in the jacket regained consciousness, his head throbbing painfully. Damn, these high school kids hit hard these days, he thought bitterly.
Several officers were by his bedside, questioning him.
"Talk! Why did you attack him with a knife?"
"Officer, look at me," the man groaned. "Does it look like I was the one attacking? I was just passing by, saw he looked skilled, got a sudden itch to test my skills... a friendly spar, you know?"
The man was a seasoned player, spinning a wild tale.
Ethan had just stepped out of the hospital when a Range Rover pulled up in front of him. The driver's window rolled down halfway, revealing Serena's striking eyes.
"Get in."
They drove towards The Summit in silence for a while.
Serena blinked her large eyes. "Who do you think was behind it?"
Ethan looked genuinely puzzled. "It wasn't you guys?"
Serena's heart skipped a beat, and her foot jerked on the accelerator.
Over a minute passed before she spoke again. "You're right. It was my father who sent him. But for you, it's a good thing. You need to understand, it's not just Zhao's people watching you. Lucas Langford is also watching you. If we didn't make a move, they would have. And if they did, the person coming for your trophy wouldn't be alone. Each of them could easily send a dozen or more blade-wielding enforcers at any time."
"By doing this now, no one else will dare move against you for a while."
Ethan cracked a faint smile. "But the guy who came at me didn't seem like he was holding back."
Serena replied, "Sending only one man, and with me giving you a warning was holding back. If you couldn't handle that, your trophy would have been taken by someone else eventually. Better it happens this way, on our terms."
Then, she specifically glanced at Ethan and added, "Those were my father's exact words."
Ethan shrugged, showing no surprise. His takeover of the operation had been too smooth. That Mr. Kun would do something like this was within Ethan's expectations.
The car stopped in front of the hotel.
"Go get cleaned up. There are clothes in the wardrobe bought to fit you. Oh, and..." Serena added casually, "if you need a woman to help you... unwind... some of the girls at the casino would be more than happy to be your companion. They got pretty excited when they heard the new casino manager was an eighteen-year-old high school guy. You probably have no idea how popular you are."